The Janus-Faced State: Recognition, Retreat and the Legacy of Stephen Lawrence

This lecture examines the evolving legacy of Stephen Lawrence through a critical analysis of what is described as the ‘Janus-faced state’ a form of governance that simultaneously acknowledges racial injustice whilst retreating from its consequences. Underpinned by archival research from the Macpherson Inquiry into the Death of Stephen Lawrence, alongside contemporary developments in the UK and internationally, the lecture explores how institutional recognition of racism can coexist with the gradual erosion of accountability.

Moving beyond questions of individual prejudice. It considers how race is governed through policy, narrative and institutional practice and asks what it means to remember Stephen Lawrence in a moment where the frameworks that once made justice possible are increasingly contested. The lecture ultimately reflects on the conditions under which truth is not only uncovered but sustained.