This week Baroness Doreen Lawrence visited JFS to speak to our Year 12 students on the subject of anti-racism.  In addition to speaking at a Year 12 assembly, Baroness Lawrence met with a smaller group of students over lunch at which she shared her experiences.

Baroness Lawrence is the mother of teenager Stephen Lawrence who was brutally murdered in a racist attack in April 1993. In the aftermath of his death, Baroness Lawrence’s campaigning successfully led to reforms in how the UK handles racially motivated crime.

In her address to students, she reflected on her campaigning and fight for justice as well as raising awareness of the second Stephen Lawrence Day in April 2020.  She implored students to “be the person that makes a difference and not to wait for somebody else.”

Headteacher Mrs Rachel Fink said, “It is an honour and a privilege to welcome Baroness Lawrence to the school and that as we mark Holocaust Memorial Day this week, it is particularly important to foster mutual understanding and respect between all communities.”