Stephen Lawrence analysis: Society is more mixed but racism has not gone away – we still have a long way to go

SINCE the Stephen Lawrence murder in 1993, race relations have certainly changed. But for me, speaking as a black person, the change is that, while at one time there was overt racism, it has now become covert.

That is partly because of the stigma which is now attached to racism, and partly because people are aware they can be prosecuted – that is where the law has made a significant difference.

If education fails, then the law cannot afford to fail. But racism is still there in society, and we are still very much aware of it. We still have a very long way to go.

As Stephen Lawrence’s mother said, this verdict does not make her feel this is the end of the matter. There are other people out there who have not yet accepted that racism is unacceptable in today’s society.

For this reason, the people working in the field promoting racial equality – be they black or white – are still needed.

We now have equality laws that cover a wide range of prejudices.

There’s a fear that, because equality laws cover race, religion, disability, etc, that people with racist tendencies will see it as a downgrading of race.

From what I have seen – and experienced – people with racist tendencies will say that, because race is just one part of a catch-all law, they can be a bit more racist.Therefore, the law has to be very careful when making changes not to send out the wrong message, even if we are well-intentioned.

The judge in the Stephen Lawrence case was very good, because he sent out a clear message that, if you commit a racist crime, you will get an additional sentence for it.

That’s a very strong message. A lot of people might miss that, but, for me, it’s one of the most significant aspects of this judgment.

However, the fact that we have these laws at all tells us something about ourselves.

The Stephen Lawrence case is a reminder of the kind of people that we are – that we need laws to make us act fairly to other human beings who happen to have a different skin colour to us.

Even with the work of Stephen Lawrence’s parents, and of the other good people around them, it took 18 years to get justice.

Without them, I don’t think we would have ever got to this point. If those parents were not so determined that a wrong had been done, this judgment would not have been reached.

I am hopeful that society as a whole is becoming more mixed. We have more mixed marriages now and more relationships between different ethnic groups – and I think that is simply because they like each other.

But still, we have a society where there are certain ethnic groups living by themselves, and we also have a disparity in employment opportunities.

I do a lot of work with police forces and councils, and when they ask me how I would describe things at present, I say look around your office and see how ethnically mixed it is. Often, it is not very.

I am not saying things have not improved – we are certainly more tolerant these days – but racism persists and, without the law, I don’t know where we would be.

We still have a society where signs of racism are abundantly clear in terms of life and job opportunities. That is precisely what the Stephen Lawrence inquiry said was wrong.

But I am hopeful for the future and I think this case will help.

I think it will make good people – black or white – more confident to challenge racism, because the law of the land will not stand for it.

• Professor Geoff Palmer is president of the Edinburgh and Lothians Racially Equality Council.