Lee Jasper facts for kids

Lee Jasper (born 4 November 1958) is a British politician and activist. He worked as a Senior Policy Advisor for fairness and equality to the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, until March 2008. He is also well-known for his work as a race relations activist.

Early Life and Education

Lee Jasper was born on 4 November 1958 in Oldham, Lancashire, England. His mother, who raised him, was of Irish and Sierra-Leonean background. His father was Jamaican.

He has said that he faced "crude racism" while growing up. He started his career by selling second-hand clothes from a market stall. Later, as an adult student, he went back to school and earned a degree in social sciences from Manchester Polytechnic.

Career Highlights

In 1985, Lee Jasper moved to London. There, he became deeply involved with the Notting Hill Carnival, a large annual street festival. He became the Secretary of the Notting Hill Carnival in 1987.

Over the next ten years, Jasper became a strong voice for race and human rights. He joined various groups and committees, including the Inner London Education Authority. He also helped start Operation Trident and the Royal Commonwealth Society. He gave evidence at the Stephen Lawrence inquiry, which looked into the murder of a black teenager.

Jasper worked with the Metropolitan Police on community policing. This role ended after the Brixton riots in 1995. Some people criticized him for giving a "very, very angry speech" before the violence started. However, he has also been praised for helping to improve relationships between communities and the police in London.

In 2010, Lee Jasper was the main political commentator for The Voice newspaper during the election. In November 2012, he ran as a candidate for the Respect Party in the Croydon North by-election. He did not win, getting only a small percentage of the votes.

Activism and Advocacy

Lee Jasper has been involved in many campaigns for social justice. He was a member of the Coalition of Resistance (COR), a group that protested against government spending cuts. He also helped create BARAC (Black Activists Rising Against the Cuts) with Zita Holbourne.

He has spoken out about the importance of the black community taking responsibility for reducing violence among young people. Jasper is also a well-known campaigner against deaths that happen while people are in police custody. He has highlighted cases like those of Sarah Reed and Mohamud Hassan.

Today, he is the Vice Chair of BAME Lawyers 4 Justice. This group works to stop the deportation of former offenders and UK residents who are considered Jamaican nationals. He also serves as a Strategic Adviser for Black Men 4 Change, a national network for black men of African and Caribbean descent.

Senior Political Advisor Role

From 2004 to 2008, Lee Jasper worked as the Director for Policing and Equalities for the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. In this important role, he was in charge of creating and promoting policies that aimed for fairness and equality across London. He also advised the Mayor on policing matters.

During his time, he helped organize the Caribbean Showcase, an alternative carnival event in Hyde Park. He also defended Sir Ian Blair and other police officers after the controversial death of Jean Charles de Menezes.

Investigations and Resignation

In late 2007, a newspaper called the Evening Standard made accusations against Lee Jasper about how money was handled. Mayor Ken Livingstone suspended him while these accusations were investigated.

In January 2008, Jasper was cleared of any serious wrongdoing. The investigation found that the accusations were "unfounded." However, it was suggested that the Greater London Authority (GLA) should improve its administrative procedures.

Lee Jasper resigned on 4 March 2008. This happened after the Evening Standard published emails that showed he had a personal relationship with a woman whose organizations had received grants from the GLA. He had not officially declared this relationship.

The GLA stated that Lee Jasper had played a leading role in their excellent work on equality and procurement. Later investigations, including one by the law firm DLA Piper, found no evidence of fraud or corruption by Jasper. However, they did note that his involvement in approving funding for some groups was "inappropriate" given his personal interests.

Personal Life

Lee Jasper lives in Lambeth, south London. He has nine children and five grandchildren.

Awards and Recognition

Lee Jasper has received several awards for his work:

• In 2003, he was named among the top ten by 100 Black Britons.
• In 2010, the NUS Black Students Campaign gave him the National Black Achievers Award for Life Time Achievement. This was for his significant contributions to fighting for racial justice and challenging racism in higher education.
• In July 2010, he received a Pride of the Motherland Award (Africa) at The O2 Arena.
• In July 2017, the C.H Hub Awards honored him with their Legend Award for his 30 years of work in social justice.