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As we approach the fifth annual Stephen Lawrence Day and also, this year, the 30th Anniversary of Stephen's death, the Bishop of Burnley, Rt Rev Philip North, has issued a statement.

Bishop Philip said today: "Jesus sees every human being as precious and valuable. In the Bible we read: 'The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart'.

"Tomorrow, April 22, marks the 30th Anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence, an event which has subsequently been seen as a watershed moment for race relations in the UK.

"Stephen was an ordinary South London teenager; ambitious become an architect as he studied for his A-Levels. He was also black and in 1993 he died in a horrific, unprovoked racist attack.

"Before the first Stephen Lawrence Day in 2019 Stephen's much-admired mother, Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon, called for greater tolerance in society. I echo this call.

"Our Diocesan Vision 2026 pledges us to have Healthy Churches Transforming Communities. I also pledge, this Stephen Lawrence Day, that our Diocese will do all we can to oppose racism and racial injustice of all kinds and to work with our partners to ensure that our streets, neighbourhoods and communities are thriving and safe places to live, work and play."