At last two men have been convicted of the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence. Others complicit in the racist attack are still at liberty.
My daughter was born the year Stephen was killed at a bus stop in south east London. As a parent I can barely imagine the pain borne by Stephen’s family at all that has been lost, with the nagging certainty that other culprits have still to be brought to justice.
On the day of the trial verdict Channel Four news presenter Jon Snow tweeted from the bus stop where Stephen was attacked. Snow reported that the film recording was interrupted several times by drivers tooting and shouting racist obscenities.
Little wonder that many people of black, Asian and other ethnic minority heritage feel a sense of frustration at day to day and stubbornly persistent racism in the UK.
In 1999 there were 1.03 million stop and searches under Section One of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, with black people almost six times more likely to be targeted compared with white people. During 2009 and 2010, that figure rose to 1.14 million, with black people seven times more likely to be stopped.
Under a Labour Government the Macpherson Inquiry into Stephen’s murder recommended changes to the double jeopardy law meaning that acquitted parties can be retried in the event of new evidence. Hence this recent trial and conviction.
Yet the same newspapers that seek association with this successful prosecution condemn the notion of “political correctness’ and shy away from the implications of Macpherson’s insightful analysis of the problem, which he described as “institutional racism”.
The stop and search data is prima facie evidence of institutional racism. There is no other explanation. Likewise the research into the prospects of job applicants with “foreign” names being less favourable than other applicants with equally matched qualifications and experience.
I watched and listened with interest the uproar and indignation poured on Labour MP for Hackney Diane Abbott whose crime was to tweet an opinion on divide and rule tactics.
From what I read and heard people felt able to turn away from the uncomfortable truth of a verdict delayed by 18 years and instead go on the attack citing black racism.
January 8 was the centenary of the founding of the African National Congress, now the majority in South Africa’s government. Britain under Thatcher refused to implement the boycott the ANC and Britain’s Anti Apartheid Movement demanded.
While it is undeniable that South Africa is weighed down by many difficulties the role of the ANC led by Nelson Mandela was pivotal in defeating apartheid and minority white rule.
This is our recent history. Should Diane Abbott have been forced to apologise? I don’t think so. Post apartheid peace and reconciliation was a powerful force, not based on denial of racism but an understanding that wounds can be healed when past wrongs are admitted.
Britain has an awful history of racism as a colonial power and exploitation and a strong tendency to ignore its legacy.
As the recent killing of an innocent Indian student in Salford and the racist taunting of a black player by Liverpool football supporters show, there is no room for complacency and the anti-racist struggle remains a high priority.
Comments