The passing of SBTV founder Jamal Edwards has led to an outpouring of grief and sadness across not just the music industry, but young and older people in London.
Two members of London’s Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) got to know Jamal well, and have paid tribute to someone who inspired so many in our communities.
Jerome Harvey-Agyei - children and youth participation officer
I first met Jamal Edwards on Christmas Day in 2013 at an event I was running for care leavers called the Tope Project. We decided to run a day so that people didn’t feel alone or isolated on Christmas Day.
It struck a cord with Jamal and he came and spent nearly the whole day with us. We had a lot of fun, jokes and laughs and he gave so many of our young people his time – motivating them and giving advice on how to start a business. He even got stuck into a competitive game of bingo, followed by a bit of two-step!
The following year he came again and brought different people to experience it too. We had some powerful conversations about the journey ahead, he spoke about what he wanted to do to help people in relation to media, and people where he lived in Ealing. He wanted to build a youth club and create a music centre for people to escape to.
He wasn’t like a celebrity or famous person to us. He felt part of the family. Our young people and volunteers embraced him as part of the Tope family, an unspoken bond which was created by real people who know what the trauma of life can bring.
Jamal was key to this as a well-known individual, full of life and energy he would unconsciously bring hope, light and joy into our spaces.
Ever since we connected we would check in once in a while just to revisit memories and crack jokes, but guaranteed I would get a call on Christmas Day: 'Jay ,where am I coming to?'
The beauty of Jamal was that he was fun, humble, and had banter, but he also did everything without even questioning if he could or couldn't.
He wasn't in any of it for the fame - he was in it for the service to others and the deeper connection and that is what made him such a hero to many.
It was his ability to climb up the ladder and still be humble and full of grace and honour.
I know for me his passing was a shock, as it was for those who knew him and all the young people he inspired. The fact we got to share such beautiful memories on countless Christmas Days and beyond was an honour.
I wish his family all the love and comforting energy at this time but most importantly the strength to know they nurtured and developed a young man who absolutely fulfilled his potential and beyond, and who passed the baton on to many people.
Long Live Jamal
Darwin Bernardo - VRU community engagement lead
The last few days has been hard to comprehend and even accept. When I heard of Jamal’s passing, I thought it must be a mistake. Like many others, I was speechless and shocked.
The out pour of love, positive vibes and care for Jamal all over social media since Sunday, is a true testimony of the impact he has had on the lives of many Londoners – young and old. I first met him during my time with the Spirit of London Awards in 2010.
I remember his smile, and we instantly hit it off. Our journey continued when, in 2011, he led the media coverage of the 2011 Spirit of London awards at the Royal Albert Hall. I was like, who is this guy?
We often talk about positive role models in our lives. Some say that your elders are the best role models, but I’m glad that I could look up to someone younger than me and be happy to see someone doing what he did to inspire so many young people in our city.
I was given an opportunity to sit on the Queen’s Young Leaders Advisory Board as the U.K. representative in 2014. In the meetings, we discussed how to launch the award scheme and make it big and gather the attention not only of young people in the UK, but right across the Commonwealth.
Would you believe me if I said the name that we all agreed to help launch this was Jamal Edwards? So, we had Prince William, Prince Harry and Jamal centre stage, launching an amazing awards scheme which went out internationally. Just when I thought this guy had done it all. We ended the night and toasted the success of the launch.
I can talk about everything Jamal has done globally for everyone else, but for me it’s important that I reflect on my personal experience with someone who I can honestly say always turns up with positive vibes and also gave 100 per cent.
I’ll always remember the time I contacted him in 2012 to tell him I’d been selected as an Olympic torch-bearer and that I was going to train and work hard to do myself justice.
His reply? “Yeah nice, so am I.” This guy!
Growing up as a young black child, it was hard to find an inspirational figure who looked like me; but, Jamal's success transcended past my black community and into the mainstream as both a leader in his field and a positive role model for all. He proved you don’t have to be a superhero to inspire a generation, and why it's essential that we continue to shine a light on the accomplishments of Black men in our communities.