In this episode of Parents Who Think, Danusia Malina-Derben talks with Stuart Lawrence, teacher, author, and younger brother of Stephen Lawrence, about what it means to carry grief and use it as a tool for change.

Stuart reflects on stepping into a leadership role in his family after Stephen’s murder, navigating the long and painful road toward justice, and discovering his own purpose through education and public speaking. He shares intimate memories of his brother, the confusion and pain of dealing with systemic failure, and how his mother’s strength and clarity became the foundation for everything that followed.

Together, Danusia and Stuart explore what it means to raise a Black son in Britain today, how to instil hope without dishonesty, and why personal action, no matter how small, is never wasted. Stuart’s work in schools, his books Silence is Not an Option and Growing Up Black in Britain, and his belief in the power of education shine throughout this conversation.

This is an episode about personal responsibility, family legacy, and how to keep going when the fight was never supposed to be yours, but you take it up anyway.

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Credits:

• Hosted by Danusia Malina-Derben

• Edited, Mixed + Mastered by Marie Cruz

• Cover art by Anthony Oram