Stephen Lawrence and St George
Richard Reddie, Director of Justice and Inclusion at Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
April is a fascinating month regarding race, identity and culture in Britain, with the 22 and 23 April having a particular resonance. Since 2018, 22 April in Britain has been celebrated as Stephen Lawrence Day, which ‘exists to inspire a more equal, inclusive society, and to foster opportunities for marginalised young people in the UK’. This day was created by the Stephen Lawrence Foundation as a celebration of a life cut short by racist violence on 22 April 1993, when thugs stabbed the 18-year-old Black student to death in London.
23 April is St George’s Day; St George as we all know, is the patron saint of England and on this day many English towns and cities are decorated with St George’s flags. Pubs, restaurants and cafes do a roaring trade in proffering ‘English’ fare such as fish and chips and a cup of tea.
At the time of Stephen Lawrence’s murder in 1993, the flag of St George proved very problematic to many Black and Brown Britons. Sadly, it was associated with the far right. Groups with a real hatred for immigrants and anyone not considered ‘English’ had hijacked the flag and used it for their exclusive purposes. For instance, certain English football ‘fans’ could be seen wearing the flag while racially abusing Black and Brown football players, who were often playing for their team.
However, there has recently been a welcome change to the public image of St George’s cross and the day itself. As a result of a more inclusive understanding of ‘British’ history, we now know that St George was a soldier of Cappadocian Greek origin who had little or no connection to England. He is the patron saint of half a dozen European and African countries! Much like St George, those other cultural traits we identify as ‘English’, invariably come from elsewhere, such as ‘fried fish’ (as in fish and chips), which was brought to Britain by Sephardic Jews from Spain, and ‘tea’ which has its origins in Asia. In London, the St George’s Day events on Trafalgar Square seek to be a more inclusive offering and have a less hackneyed approach to celebrating the feast day.
Equally, attempts have been made to ‘detoxify’ the St George’s cross, and it is now possible to see Black and Brown supporters kitted-out in England shirts and waving St George’s flags when the football is on.
For me, Stephen Lawrence Day is a reminder of the fact that we have come a long way since 1993, but that we still have a long way to go before Britain truly becomes an equitable, justice-driven country. The Lawrence family’s protracted fight for justice resulted in the implementation of the McPherson Report, and the introduction of the term ‘institutional racism’ in 1999, to define organisations that wittingly (and unintentionally) promote or perpetuate racism. The family also helped to introduce the Race Relations (Amendment) Act in 2000 to address racism and bias.