How do you raise a Black child in a prejudiced and divided world? What do they need to know about life and when do you need to have ‘the talk’? When is a good time to raise issues around race and your own personal safety? And, as a parent, how do you deal with the pressure of trying to bring up a kid in a society that may not give them the same opportunities as others?

Journalist and academic Marverine Cole hosts a conversation that will explore these crucial questions and more – to get to the bottom of the ‘things I wish my Black parents had told me’. 

Joining her will be Stuart Lawrence, the brother of murdered teenager Stephen Lawrence and author of Silence is Not an Option, and Marvyn Harrison, the founder of support group Dope Black Dads and author of Dope Black Dads: Lessons on Fatherhood.

Join us for this riveting discussion that will attempt to traverse the dynamics of being a Black parent.

About The Speakers

Marcus Ryder

Marcus Ryder is the Head of External Consultancies at the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity which was set up to explore and increase diversity across the industry including journalism, acting, film, TV and radio in both front-of-house and behind the scenes roles.

He has spent over 25 years working in the media across the world including eight years as a senior executive at the BBC, winning numerous industry awards – from BAFTAs to Royal Television Society Awards and Foreign Press Association Awards. He has previously held the position of Chair of the Royal Television Society Diversity Committee and is currently a trustee at the Press Pad Charitable Foundation.

Marcus is also a Visiting Professor at Birmingham City University for Media Diversity and an Honorary Senior Lecturer in Journalism at The University of Sussex.

Marvyn Harrison Headshot

Marvyn Harrison

Marvyn Harrison is an inspirational leader who is able to deliver business goals and vision using sound strategy, communication, and people management. Respected as a credible source of knowledge of community strategy, Marvyn is able to drive culture change and deliver tangible results across business, projects, and campaigns. Marvyn has been listed by Forbes, HSBC and Black British Business Awards as one of the top Black Business people to watch and follow. His leadership experience as the founder and driving force behind Dope Black CIC, an educational and healing platform designed to improve the outcomes of black people, has seen him become the voice of the Black community across the UK, US, and African continent. Previously Marvyn was a consultant across music, film, and TV and delivering successful campaigns for Sony, Universal, Ciroc, Playstation, and W Hotel. His ability to provide insights into trends allowed him to embed brands and products deep in the cultural psyche of its consumers in order to provide a platform to drive mainstream success. Marvyn is now Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer of BELOVD Agency a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion agency with the goal of culturally transforming business around the world to become fairer and sustainable.
headshot of Marverine Cole

Marverine Cole

Marverine is a multi-award-winning journalist and broadcaster from Birmingham, who’s chapter about mental health features in BLACK BRITISH LIVES MATTER edited by Sir Lenny Henry and Professor Marcus Ryder (Faber).  Her media and journalism career spans more than 30 years, as a reporter, producer and news anchor for many of the UK’s most watched and listened to broadcasters, including Sky News, 5 News, BBC 5 Live and BBC Radio 4.  She’s a regular commentator on the day’s news & current on daytime TV shows like Steph’s Packed Lunch (Channel 4) and This Morning (ITV). Marverine is also a qualified Beer Sommelier, who is the resident expert & columnist on all things beer for BBC Good Food magazine and online.

 

Headshot of Stuart Lawrence

Stuart Lawrence

Stuart Lawrence is a motivational speaker with over 20 years’ experience as a youth engagement specialist. Stuart is the younger brother of Stephen Lawrence, a black British teenager from South-East London who was murdered in 1993 in a racially motivated attack while waiting for a bus. His recent book, Silence is Not An Option: Find Your Voice and Be Your Best Self, Stuart talks about what he has learned from life – the tools that have helped him live positively and kept him moving forwards when times have been tough.

Stuart is now focusing on writing a number of books and working with organisations and broadcasters to help them focus on areas of racism, internally and externally.