Two days after his eighteenth birthday, Kenny Imafidon was arrested for a murder he did not commit… Thankfully, that wasn’t the end of his story, and he went on to achieve incredible things.
Raised in Peckham, Kenny was aware of the connotations people had with the community from a young age. Poverty, low aspirations, crime; these were all things he saw on a daily basis. However, guided by his mum’s belief in the power of education, Kenny and his brother both strived for academic excellence and succeeded. Despite the odds, and even judgement from friends, he gained 12 GCSE’s and secured a place at college to study his A-levels.
Mid-way through his studies however, Kenny’s life changed forever when he was wrongfully arrested for murder. He faced an uncertain future and a minimum sentence longer than the life he’d currently lived.
He’d worked so hard towards his exams he was determined to take them; and so, Kenny became the first person to take his A-levels in prison… and he passed.
Upon his acquittal, Kenny emerged from prison with a new sense of purpose. He used his voice to highlight the issues affecting people from deprived communities and to help those in power make more informed decisions about social justice issues. His first report, ‘The Kenny Report’, has been referenced by academics, politicians, and even used in parliamentary debate.
He went on to secure a scholarship to study law and kept writing his reports, determined to change the narrative; particularly around young black men and women and the negative stereotypes too often displayed in the media. His seminal work led to him being recognised as the most outstanding black student in the UK.
His message: “When writing the story of your life, make sure you’re holding the pen.”
Kenny Imafidon – video transcript
During my second year of college, December 2010, there was a murder that took place in my area. Four of my friends were arrested and charged for it, and sent to prison. And two days after turning 18, I was also arrested for that murder, alongside six other charges.
My world turned upside down from that moment. My life, my hopes just went down the drain. I'll potentially be coming out, if I'm lucky, at 47. That's me getting a sentence longer than the life I've even lived. I was put into a cell, and you're literally just behind a door that could only be opened from one end, 24 hours a day. And it's like you're brain dead.
I grew up in a very much deprived community. It was just definitely a place where people would stay away. Like you'd say you're from Peckham and people give you that look like, "Oh, you're from there?" I saw a lot of poverty, just day to day, just really struggling to get by. Aspirations were so low. Hopelessness was a big thing in my community. Because of that you begin to do things by any means, whether that be sell drugs, or just do whatever crime it may be. And that just really becomes your norm. It very much was like a jungle, and it's like, it's eat or be eaten.
So, my family life was very much just me and my younger brother George, and my mum. She gave up a lot in order to look after me and my brother and just to give us the best possible life that she could. She said that with education, the world is your oyster. And that's really why me and my brother did our best to excel at school. And we both did. I left school with 12 GCSEs, five which I got by the end of year 10, whereas by year 10, a lot of my friends were kicked out of school. And that enabled me to go into college, where I studied philosophy, politics, economics, and history. I spent a lot of time explaining to my friends why I'm studying something like philosophy, because like where I come from, that's just like, "why would you want to do that?"
That summer of my first year, I went off to basically understand more about this world of politics. And I got some work experience in City Hall, as well as my local council. And during that time, I was very much just trying to help practitioners and politicians to just really understand actually the difficulties that a lot of people like me, and from my community, are facing and how we can overcome them. We have so much talented people who just end up just wasting their lives.
So one of the things which I did in prison was my A levels. Now my legal team at the time, were like, "You're on a murder charge. What are you even talking about?" And for me, I was just like, "I need to get this done. Like, I've come this far, I need to finish it." And I guess for me also taking those exams was also like very important for my spirit. And I always used to pray each and every day that if this doesn't break me, then that should surely make me.
Because I was the first person ever to do A levels in Feltham Prison, something which has just never been done before. And I passed them. That is what really helped me to get through. I just definitely knew that this wouldn't be the end of my story.
For me, the worst time in prison was actually when the trial started. Even though they had no evidence against any of us to actually prove that we were there, this was all based on cell site evidence, which is not concrete evidence, it's just very much circumstantial. The only thing the prosecution had against me was the fact that I had been in communication with my friends that day. And so I was literally there because of phone calls.
My legal team applied for a half time acquittal. Now this is very rare in terms of the success. We see innocent people getting found guilty all the time, and we see miscarriages of justice. So I can't just sit there and think, "Oh yeah, because I'm innocent I'm going to be out." And I remember just praying. And then literally I went up to the courtroom, and I was acquitted. And that was just, for me, just a life changing moment. I literally felt like the world that's been on my shoulders was just lifted off me.
And I remember literally seeing my mum in the box where visitors can come and watch. And, yeah she was just literally over the moon. I see my mum up there with like, McDonald's in her hands, just like, I was thinking of all things, like, you think I was waiting for that. But yeah, she was so happy, and I gave her like a massive hug, as in like I've never done before. That was like a life changing moment for me personally, just to be able to, just be free.
As I look back, a lot of the lessons I learned in prison, I still hold onto till today. I wrote a report which is called ‘The Kenny Report’, which is very much looking at gangs and serious youth violence, and looking at how does politics and economics, have a part to play in what happens in these marginalised communities. I launched it in the House of Commons. I had academics referencing my report and even politicians referencing it in parliamentary debates. And for me, that was such a big turning moment in terms of changing my story, and changing the narrative about me. And then during that time, I also secured a three-year scholarship to study law at a private university called BPP. I kept on writing those reports. And the third report I produced was with a team of 24 other young people. And it was the biggest youth led research piece that has been done in the UK.
In terms of society's view on young black men, for me it's very much driven by the negative stereotypes they see in the media, of crime and hoodies. And for me, that whole narrative needs to change. There's so much young black men and women who are actually doing exceptional things despite their circumstances.
When writing the story of your life, make sure you're holding the pen, and make sure you are the one that's telling your own story. In this life, you can be whoever you want to be.
END CARD
Kenny Imafidon became an award-winning student, social entrepreneur and activist.
After his release from prison, he wrote 'The Kenny Reports' to explain the issues affecting people from deprived communities and to help politicians make informed decisions about social justice Issues.
His seminal work resulted in him being recognised as the most outstanding black student in the UK.
He now runs a successful business venture and works with major charities to help give young people a brighter future.
