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Simon Fredericks
Stuart has worked as a teacher and coach in schools, football teams, youth engagement programmes and with the Home Office and HMP Belmarsh. His own story, as well as that of his brother Stephen Lawrence, is one of hope, change, respect and resilience even in the toughest of times.
Stuart Lawrence is a campaigner, a former teacher, and a football coach, who has worked for over twenty years in a variety of youth engagement roles. His brother Stephen Lawrence was murdered in a racially motivated attack that has had profound implications for society, the police and justice system, politics, and the Lawrence family themselves. Since Stephen’s murder, Stuart and his family have campaigned for justice, and for change. Their work has seen official reviews and reports, legislation and rule changes within the Metropolitan Police and other institutions. It’s also inspired cultural, and attitude shifts within the media and society.
Following his brother’s death, Stuart studied design and graphic communications, and became a teacher. He had a fifteen-year career as a secondary school teacher and worked with the Home Office and at HMP Belmarsh, the category A prison in south London. Now a football coach and public speaker, he continues to work with young people and communities to spread his message of education, tolerance, and inclusion.
Stuart also works with public and private institutions to share his own story and his family’s experience of racism and institutional bias. In speeches, he also tackles the realities of grief and trauma, what he learned on how to remain resilient when times are tough and how to harness the good in yourself and others to create the change you want to see.
His book Silence is Not An Option: You Can Impact The World For Change, strives to ensure that the young people of today understand the consequences of their actions and importance of inclusion through preaching tolerance and celebrating difference. In the book Growing Up Black in Britain: Stories of courage, success and hope, Stuart talks to eight figures including TV presenter Alison Hammond, Olympic gold medallist Kye Whyte and actress Lolly Adefope about their childhood experiences, as well as sharing insight into his own.
A regular commentator in the media, he has appeared on various panels, podcasts and interviews across platforms including ITV, The Sun, BBC London, and Good Morning Britain. He is a former trustee of the Stephen Lawrence Trust (now the charity Blueprint For All) and continues to work with the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation. The Foundation provides resources and support to education and community projects with the goal that Stephen’s legacy be one of hope, change and respect.
