Bristol poet who ‘lived off the streets’ receives honorary degree

For most, getting a degree represents years of learning. For Lawrence Hoo, it represents a lifetime. The poet and educator today received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from the University of Bristol – officially making him ‘Dr Hoo’.

For Lawrence, it is the culmination of two decades of campaigning, which has seen him work with inner city communities, publish three poetry anthologies and most recently co-found CARGO Classroom, a resource hub that helps schools teach African and African diaspora history.

But the learning started long before that. Lawrence went to eight schools, spent time in care and lived much of his life in “lawless” inner city neighbourhoods – experiences that turned him from observer to activist.

Introducing Lawrence to the graduating English, Liberal Arts and Theology students, Bristol Professor Steve Eichhorn called him a “maverick”. He added: “Whenever I come out of an encounter with Lawrence… I learn something, and it’s usually profound.”

Lawrence told students: “As you now embark on your own journeys - turn a new page, starting a new chapter in the book of life - I wish you all well. I would just like you to always remember: you are valued and you are our present and future.

“So go forward and shine bright - and be the light we all need to see.”Speaking after the ceremony, he said: “It’s great to have my work recognised, especially from within my own city, but I am accepting this on behalf of the communities I work with.”

During a “complicated” upbringing in Birmingham, Somerset and Bristol, Lawrence witnessed violence from a young age and was often subjected to racist abuse. He aced his 11+ and was offered a scholarship at a private boarding school. But the offer was mysteriously revoked, leaving him disillusioned.

Lawrence said: “I had a bit of mischief in my bones, it accelerated that.”Later, Lawrence ended up in a children’s residential home in a community where racism was rife and fights commonplace.

After leaving school at 16, Lawrence worked various jobs before being diagnosed with cancer aged 23.

“I lost dozens of kilos and my neck went black from the radiotherapy. I decided life didn’t want to be kind to me. My life turned dark after that, I lived off the streets.

“I always found the streets more comfortable than home. Even when I was five or six when things got tough I’d go to the streets. I was a runaway.”

Life changed for Lawrence in his late 20s when he had the first of his four sons, Myles. The prostitution, drug dealing and gang violence he witnessed in his neighbourhood - even outside his local primary school - took on new meaning.

He started documenting it with photos and videos and eventually picked up a pen and wrote his first poem, Life.“I wanted to protect my children,” he said. “I filmed everywhere, even in crack houses. People said it was a risk, but for me, not doing it was the risk.”

He published three poetry collections, Inner City Tales in 2006, HOOSTORY in 2011, and CARGO in 2019.Lawrence’s latest project CARGO Classroom (CARGO stands for Charting African Resilience Generating Opportunities) are free lessons about people from African and African diaspora descent.

Aimed at pupils aged five to 14, they are made with the help of University of Bristol academics and a team of education experts.

They use poetry, film and illustrations to make the content more engaging and accessible. Tracks written by Massive Attack accompany the poetry performances.

Lawrence said: “It’s been great working with the University of Bristol - the School of Education has been instrumental in CARGO. Putting our strengths together, working as equals, has been really good.

“Being Dr Hoo still cracks me up. When I tell people they fall about laughing.”

And what would his advice be to young people?

“You do matter and you aren’t disposable. So don’t give up on yourself and try to be the best you can in whatever you’re doing,” Lawrence said.