Stephen Lawrence leaves powerful legacy 30 years after his murder: John Sentamu

Today we also mark Earth Day, which for the past 53 years has been driving positive action and raising awareness of the need to sustain the planet for the future of all our young people.

The health of the planet is vital to the future for us all; but within that future, it is vital that all parts of our society can create a healthy and safe environment for individuals to flourish. Is this something we can hope for?

The cold-blooded murder of 18-year-old A-level student Stephen Lawrence in 1993, seemed like an act of unmitigated evil at the time, from which no good could come. Thirty years later, the wickedness of the act has not been assuaged, but its positive effects here are like green shoots springing up from his grave.

In Woolwich, where he lived and died, there’s a celebration of his life and legacy. Residents will contribute to a piece of artwork exploring the theme of ‘Hopeful Futures’. Schools and universities are commemorating the anniversary: Nottingham Trent University will floodlight two buildings in orange, and will host an anti-racism panel discussion.

The Stephen Lawrence Research Centre at Leicester’s De Montfort University, where Stephen’s mother Baroness Doreen Lawrence was Chancellor, funds research into racism and promotes the wellbeing of black students.

Baroness Lawrence has been an indefatigable campaigner for truth, as has Stephen’s father Neville Lawrence. Their suspicion that the failure of the police to bring their son’s assassins to justice was the product of incompetence and racism, was confirmed by the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, to which I was an Adviser.

Our Report in 1999 concluded that the police investigation was “marred by a combination of professional incompetence, institutional racism and a failure of leadership.”

Commentators and media often misquote our report, saying we accused the Metropolitan Police of being ‘Institutionally Racist’. We didn’t. For an institution to be racist, would mean that its policy and personnel were deliberately and publicly geared to single out and oppress one group of human beings because of their skin colour.

The reality is more insidious and more difficult to smoke out. It is both tragic and exasperating after all this time, that, last month, Lady Louise Casey’s investigation into the Metropolitan Police still found “The Met has yet to free itself of institutional racism.”

The murderers of Stephen Lawrence were racists. The organisation which failed to catch them was (and sadly still is) guilty of institutional racism.

Our Report in 1999 described institutional racism like this, "The collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture, or ethnic origin. It can be seen or detected in processes, attitudes and behaviour which amount to discrimination through unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness and racist stereotyping which disadvantage minority ethnic people. It persists because of the failure of the organisation openly and adequately to recognise and address its existence and causes by policy, example and leadership.

Without recognition and action to eliminate such racism it can prevail as part of the ethos or culture of the organisation. It is a corrosive disease.”

Christians often distinguish between sins of ‘commission’ and sins of ‘omission’. A sin of commission is something we have done wrong, usually knowingly and deliberately. A sin of omission is our failure to do right. One is the result of action; the other is the product of inaction and may be just as deadly.

Institutional racism is the consequence of an organisation’s corporate failure to do the right thing.

But we refuse to lose hope. Ten years ago, Stephen’s mum said this, “Justice for Stephen is about all of us, every one of us, in society having justice. There are still too many young people who do not have a sense of hope, who just don’t get the chance to live their dreams. I want all our children and young people to feel inspired, be confident and have hope in their own future. We are building hope but there is more to do.”

In the New Testament, St Paul wrote, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” That’s great advice for us all.

"There is nothing love cannot face: there is no limit to its faith, its hope, its endurance” (1 Corinthians 13:7). This is the enduring lesson that the family of Stephen Lawrence has continued to teach us since the brutal racist murder of Stephen Lawrence.

Family Lawrence, we are with you! And we say, Thank you! But why thank you?

The whole unprovoked racist incident which led to Stephen Lawrence’s murder took no more than 15-20 seconds. But the power of the intergenerational impact of Stephen Lawrence is beyond description.

How come?

The words of Dr Shepherd, the Pathologist at the time, give us a clue: He said, “Given the nature of all the injuries... it is a testimony to Stephen’s physical fitness that he was able to run the distance he did before collapsing."

Stephen Lawrence had the indomitable spirit of “Never Give Up” – which we see clearly in Baroness Doreen Lawrence. Stephen also had a quiet and friendly presence and not a “push-over” – which Neville Lawrence exemplifies.

His brother Stewart and sister Georgina show us who Stephen is.

Young people are being inspired by Stephen, and the work in his name will carry on his legacy.

In these days of Easter, we rejoice in the knowledge that Death is not the end and the best is yet to be.

The Resurrection of the Body is at the heart of the Good News of God in Jesus Christ. This is the ultimate horizon of hope.

That door into God’s eternal life and dwelling was opened for Stephen Lawrence 30 years ago. Five racist murderers could not shut that door.

Lord Sentamu is a former Archbishop of York.