Introduction: If I were to say to you, “I want you to live your best life”, what would you think? (Optional think, pair, share for 30 seconds). Would it mean that you would be the best of some kind? Perhaps the best athlete, the best scientist, the best performer? Would it mean that you would choose the best job, live in the best country, have the best home, car or other material possessions? What does it mean to Live Our Best Life? To help us think about this question, I am going to tell you three stories.

The first is about Nelson Mandela, someone you may already know. As a black man, living in South Africa in the 1950s and 60s, Nelson Mandela, like all black people, was treated as a second-class citizen. He was not allowed the same rights as white people. Like all black South Africans, he was excluded from certain jobs; and he was not permitted to sit in certain places. He was subject to discriminatory rule and laws and was deprived of a vast range of other opportunities and privileges which white people considered “normal”. This system, known as Apartheid, was deeply, horribly and clearly racist. The people with power were all white. They ran all social institutions, including hospitals, schools, theatres, and arts establishments, from which black Africans were fully or partially excluded. They also owned the land and controlled the majority of businesses. They were exclusively, Presidents, politicians and political and cultural leaders. Mandela, and his fellow country-men and women were excluded and discriminated against in every sphere of life, simply because of their skin colour. Any challenges to the status quo by black South Africans, resulted in violence and further oppression. In fact, in 1962, Nelson Mandela was arrested for protesting and organising to overthrow Apartheid and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Let’s go back to those words at the start Live Our Best Life. You might think that life imprisonment meant that Nelson Mandela’s life was taken away. But he fought on. He continued to criticize Apartheid from prison; to inspire others to fight it, and to show how unjust it was. As a man who stood up for what was right, he lived his best life. Through his relentless fight for justice for all, and because of his desire to ensure that all people are treated as equals, Apartheid ended in 1994. Mandela became the first black President of South Africa. Today he is seen as one of the most inspirational people of modern times. It was not the life he would have chosen, but he lived it to his best. Nelson Mandela

The second story is about a man called Stephen Lawrence. In 1993, Stephen was 18. Like you, he was on the cusp of adulthood, and had his whole life ahead of him. He loved music, running and wanted to be an architect one day. On the evening of the 22 April 1993 Stephen was walking down a street in south London, with his friend, Duwayne. Racial abuse was shouted at Stephen and Duwayne and then Stephen was attacked by a gang of up to six white males. The attack lasted seconds but in that short time, Stephen sustained two fatal stab wounds. The gang ran off. Stephen managed to run a short distance before he collapsed and was pronounced dead later in hospital. It was a terrible, tragic, racist murder. He was not able to live his best life. These stories are linked because Stephen, like Mandela, suffered because of horrendous racism. Although the UK did not have a system of Apartheid, nonetheless a young man could still be murdered because of the colour of his skin. Furthermore, the investigation into Stephen’s death revealed institutionalism within the police itself. Stephen Lawrence

Stephen’s Family Fought for Justice The stories are also linked in a positive way, because in May 1993, following Stephen’s murder, Nelson Mandela met Stephen’s family. He did so to highlight that Stephen’s murder was racist, but also to add his voice to those of Stephen’s family, who were working to bring about justice for Stephen. The kind of injustice that Nelson Mandela had faced, because he was black, was now being faced by the Lawrence family. Doreen Lawrence and Nelson Mandela

: Stephen Lawrence Report (Macpherson) Found evidence - Institutional Racism. Changed the law - double jeopardy. Proposed change to the school curriculum (Citizenship). Strengthened Race Relations Act. This brings me to my third story, which is about Stephen’s family and particularly his mother, Doreen. How did the family respond to the murder of their son? They made sure everyone knew what had happened. They campaigned for justice for Stephen. They made it unacceptable that a racist murder could take place and those responsible could get away with it. The family also challenged the police and uncovered institutional racism within the police itself. Their efforts led to an Inquiry into Stephen’s murder and a review of the investigation undertaken by the police. This was led by Sir William Macpherson, a retired High Court Judge. The Macpherson report uncovered racist behaviour by members the police force, during the murder investigation. It identified a pervasive culture of institutional racism. Eventually, many years after Stephen’s death, two of the suspects were finally charged with his murder and given long sentences in 2012. The Macpherson report was a landmark event because it led to an overhaul of Britain’s Race Relation Legislation, which created the strongest anti-discrimination powers in Western Europe. It was a catalyst for permanent and irrevocable change across the Public Service and the whole of society. Jack Straw, the politician who fought to instigate the Macpherson Inquiry, suggested that the Inquiry into Stephen Lawrence’s death changed the deep-seated cultural attitudes towards race in Britain. “The pervasive, open racism of the 50s and 60s and the pernicious, sniggering racism of the 70s, 80s and 90s, is gone. For that, we have to thank Doreen and Neville Lawrence, above all others.” Doreen Lawrence following the publication of the Macpherson Report.

Creating a fairer society for young people Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust After many years of campaigning, Doreen Lawrence was elevated to the House of Lords, as Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon, OBE, one of the highest honours a person can achieve in Britain, because of the long campaign for her son. It is not the life Doreen Lawrence would have chosen, but despite her loss and grief, she lives the best life she can in tragic circumstances. She continues to campaign on the issues that matter to her, like modern slavery and “stop and search”. She is one of the most inspirational people in Britain today, helping others to take up their own campaigns for what is right. Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon, OBE

Live Our Best Life Finally, let us go back to the phrase: Live Our Best Life. Both Nelson Mandela and Doreen Lawrence are inspirational people because they saw that to live their best life, they would have to stand up for what was right and in doing so overcame enormous obstacles and oppression. Stephen was prevented from living his best life. Where does that leave us? You are on the cusp of adulthood, with your own life ahead of you. You will already be thinking about the person you want to be as an adult. You are forming the characteristics that will define you and guide you. What actions can you take to ensure that you live your best life? What are your study and career goals? What are your priorities in life? As young adults you will experience the pressure of a “pervasive culture” to do with “expected” ways to behave and “things” to have and own; things to experiment with, including drugs and alcohol and possibly gangs and possibly knife crime. How will you make choices that keep you and others safe? Who will you help along the way? Who will you inspire to Live Your Best Life?