Duwayne Brooks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Duwayne Brooks
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| Councillor for Lewisham London Borough Council |
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| In office February 2009 – May 2014 |
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| Ward | Downham |
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| Born | 27 September 1974 Lewisham, London, England |
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Duwayne Lloyd Anthony Brooks is a British politician and former local councillor. He was born on September 27, 1974. He is known for being a friend of Stephen Lawrence. Duwayne was with Stephen when Stephen was sadly murdered in 1993.
About Duwayne Brooks' Early Life
Duwayne Brooks was born in Lewisham, a part of London. His parents were from Jamaica. He grew up in Deptford, another area of London. He went to Blackheath Bluecoat Church of England School. In 1991, he started studying engineering at Woolwich College. A year later, he continued his studies at Lewisham College.
Duwayne Brooks and the Stephen Lawrence Case
Duwayne Brooks was with his friend Stephen Lawrence on April 22, 1993. Stephen was attacked and murdered that night. This event was very difficult for Duwayne. He experienced severe emotional distress because of what happened.
After the attack, the police treated Duwayne as a suspect. He felt he should have been treated as a witness instead. This treatment caused him more distress. Later, a public inquiry looked into Stephen Lawrence's murder. This inquiry was led by Sir William Macpherson. The inquiry found that the Metropolitan Police Force was "institutionally racist." This meant that racism was a problem within the police force's systems and practices.
Duwayne Brooks was also arrested after a protest in 1993. He was accused of being involved in an incident during an anti-racist march. However, the judge dismissed the case against him. It was later found that a special police unit had tried to find negative information about people. This included Stephen Lawrence's family and friends. The accusations against Duwayne came out around that time. In 2006, Duwayne Brooks sued the Metropolitan Police. He won £100,000 in compensation for how he was treated.
Duwayne Brooks' Political Journey
In February 2009, Duwayne Brooks became a local councillor. He represented the Liberal Democrats party. He was elected in the Downham Ward in the London Borough of Lewisham. Later that year, he joined the Safer Communities Board. He was a lead member for the Liberal Democrats on this board.
He was re-elected as a councillor for Downham Ward in May 2010. A few months later, he was named "Community Cohesion and PREVENT Champion." This role focused on bringing communities together and preventing harm.
In 2010, Duwayne Brooks was considered as a possible candidate for the 2012 London mayoral election. He was not chosen for the final list. He was part of the team for the Liberal Democrat mayoral candidate, Brian Paddick. Duwayne was suggested as a possible Deputy Mayor for Youth and Communities. In 2014, he ran for Mayor of Lewisham but did not win. In 2015, he received an award called the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This award was for his public and political work.
Duwayne Brooks was also considered for the 2016 London mayoral election. He decided not to run in August 2015. He wanted to help review police stop and search practices in Northamptonshire. In 2018, he ran for Mayor of Lewisham again. This time, he ran as an independent candidate, but he was not successful.
In May 2018, Duwayne Brooks joined the Conservative Party. He was considered as a candidate for the 2020 London mayoral election. However, he was not selected for that role.
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