A NEW t-shirt range aimed at supporting people who find themselves stopped and searched by police officers has been launched in Brixton, south London.

The range was produced by fashion brand Legalitees in response to community-led research which found that people often don’t know their rights when stopped and searched. It is also aimed at addressing the disproportionate impact that the policy has on young people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds.

The shirts show display simplified versions of stop and search rights, strategically positioned upside down for immediate readability. Complementing this, Legalitees is launching its website, which includes access and links to education resources around stop and search rights. 

They also feature designs by four different artists including Ishmael Lartey, Sam Lawson, Danna Michelly, Quiñones Rodriguez,and Kells Hayward.

The Legalitees initiative was created in a partnership between Hijinks, a collective of creatives, and Centric a community-led organisation based in Lambeth and Southwark, south London.  Researchers conducted in-depth interviews with people and artists in both boroughs about their experiences of stop and search, which were then turned into art.

According to government statistics,  Black people are more likely to be stopped and searched than their White counterparts, and mixed-race people are nearly twice as likely to be stopped.

All the profits from the sale of the T-shirt range, called Edition 1: Stop and Search,  will go to fund Centric to support its work which is focused on empowering local people to tackle the problems they face through, research, activism, and innovation.

Tamryn Kerr and Marc Allenby, Co-Founders and Chief Creative Officers of Legalitees said: “Creativity has the power to connect communities and make real tangible change and that’s exactly what this brand is designed to do. Throughout history, people have fought for us to have the civil rights that we have today and it’s important that we continue to protect them.”

Matty Amartey, a Centric team member and research participant said: “Stop and search isn’t just an inconvenience, it’s a constant threat that defines people’s daily lives. The colour of my skin, the clothes I wear, or even how I speak shouldn’t dictate whether I’m allowed to carry out my life without being under suspicion.

“It’s underscored by racism, plain and simple, and that’s not a world I want for my kids. I want to share my story, so people don’t have to be afraid, and have their rights to hand when it matters most.”

Muhammed Rauf, Director of Business Development at Centric said: “In Brixton, the complex history of stop and search intertwines with the lived experiences of its current residents. Legalitees art delves into the tensions of injustice and police misconduct, which comes to a head in the police’s power to stop and search.

Rauf added: “The experiences of the communities we work with are rooted in Lambeth and Southwark but their message of ‘human rights, right now’, resonates across the UK and the world. We want these T-shirts to amplify voices and empower people when they need to know their rights the most.”