Stephen’s mum helps TV writers with race-hate plot for Corrie
CORONATION Street has joined forces with the mother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence to work on a storyline about racism.
Doreen Lawrence was consulted by the soap’s writers about the plans, which will explore prejudice faced by the Bailey family.
The ITV soap will tell the story of the generational divide about attitudes towards racism in the family and will show how Ed Bailey shrugs off a racist incident, which shocks his sons Michael and James.
The storyline will also explore how the prejudice makes Ed reevaluate his attitudes towards James being gay.
Coronation Street producer Ian MacLeod said that it felt like a ‘really interesting story’ to explore the ‘generational gap’ in the family’s attitude towards racism.
He added: ‘The younger contingent think you should deal with it head on, and zero tolerance, where Ed and Aggie have a slightly more “keep your head held high and ignore it because you will never change these idiots’ minds” view.’
The story was originally intended to be broadcast on Stephen Lawrence Day on April 22. Mr MacLeod said this meant they ‘consulted quite heavily with Baroness Lawrence and made sure she was happy with it’.
The broadcast was delayed because of changes made to the TV schedules because of coronavirus, but the storyline will begin next Monday on ITV.
Baroness Lawrence, 67, has campaigned tirelessly over her 18-yearold son’s murder since he was stabbed to death by white thugs at a bus stop in Eltham, south-east London, in April 1993.
Two of the student’s killers were jailed in 2012, but three others have dodged justice over the murder.
Last month, Labour announced that Baroness Lawrence will lead a review by the party into why coronavirus has disproportionately affected Britain’s black, Asian and minority ethnic populations.