More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
An ex-offender turned charity worker has opened up about the racist abuse and the barriers he faced growing up as part of a brand new podcast series.
Former gang member Lennox Rodgers now runs Dartford-based crime prevention charity Refocus which supports vulnerable young people in Kent to get their lives on track.
Lennox grew up in Oxford where his early life was marked by sexual and physical abuse, racism, and drugs.
The More Than My Past podcast hears how Lennox did time behind bars in 16 institutions before successfully deciding to go straight.
Actor Jason Flemyng, of "Snatch" and "Lock, Stock" film fame, is the host of the series where he interviews people who have overcome addiction, prison or both and explores the barriers and stigmas that can hold them back.
It aims to showcase those individuals who despite their difficult start in life have went on to make a success of themselves to show to others it can be done.
Lennox starts the interview speaking about his experience growing up, in which he attended a school where he was the victim of racist attacks.
After being placed into care he was groomed into gangs where he committed various crimes including drug dealing, armed robbery and assault.
He said: "The community I was in was very racist, there were still signs on the window about no blacks, no Irish, no dogs, no Chinese."
Outside the school gates there would be gangs waiting outside says Lennox, who was sexually abused and raped at the age of 12, and says he was groomed into a gang a year later.
Lennox was expelled from various schools and said he found it easier in institutions where class sizes were smaller and he would receive more one-to-one support.
He says he received input from some positive role models along the way but it was not enough.
"The only people that really wanted you were criminal gangs," he said. "I didn't fit in anywhere, and when I was headhunted by these gangs it made me feel wanted”.
"I didn't fit in anywhere, and when I was headhunted by these gangs it made me feel wanted"
When it comes to the racism he faced he drew some some comfort from neighbours who he said used to tell him these people expressing these views were the minority.
"They used to really encourage me and help me not to grow up with a chip on my shoulder," he added.
But despite this there were still specific barriers he faced which he correlates to the colour of his skin.
During the podcast he recounts a particular experience in which he went to view a property he was told was vacant but when he turned up was told it had just been let.
Lennox says he went immediately to a phone booth only to be told the room was still available.
Asked about the recent Black Lives Matter movement and how he feels about the racism he experienced in his youth, Rodgers emphasised the need for forgiveness and better understanding.
Lennox said: “Not everyone in the country is racist – I think we’ve come a long way, we’ve got perhaps a long way to go to stamp it out completely."
He went on to emphasise the role better education plays in this before adding that "we have to let go of the past" and see how we can create a new and better future.
Lennox stresses the importance of early intervention through his work with the Refocus project and also helps police in their understanding and use of stop and search powers.
He tells Jason: "The power of early intervention is massive, if someone would have intervened early in my life then I could have had a different life”.
His charity, which he set up with wife Bali, aims to help troubled young people who find themselves in similar situations to Lennox.
The motivational speaker documented his experiences in his book Breaking Better, released last year, where he shares further tales of his turbulent upbringing to help others.
The More Than My Past podcast is available now on Spotify, Acast and iTunes.
To find out more about the Refocus Project and the help on offer during the Covid-19 crisis click here.
