Genevieve Bent

Where?

What? Why ?

When?

Take a

moment

to see if

you can

answer

the 4 Ws

THE WINDRUSH GENERATION

W H O A R E T H E Y, W H Y A R E T H E Y I M P O RTA N T,

W H Y D O T H E Y M AT T E R ?

Genevieve Bent

WHO ARE THE WINDRUSH GENERATION?

The Windrush Generation were a group of

people, from the Caribbean, who were called

by the British Government to work and live

in the UK.

They arrived in Tilbury, Essex, aboard the

Empire Windrush, on 22nd June 1948.

There were around 800 young Caribbean

men and women; who all arrived with

dreams and goals for their ‘Mother Country’.

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Genevieve Bent

WHY DID THEY COME OVER?

Up until the early 1960s, many of the Caribbean Islands (and countries in Africa,

Asia and around the world) were under British Colonial rule. They were a part of

the British Empire.

The Caribbean was known as the British West Indies – which is where the term

West Indian comes from.

The Queen was the ‘Head of State’ for all these countries and in 1948, the 1948

British Nationality Act was passed, granting all members of the British Empire

citizenship and the right to live in the UK.

After two wars, and the recent end of WW2 in 1945, the UK needed to rebuild its

country and economy. The British Government advertised opportunities for

employment which attracted many people to leave the Caribbean for the UK.

Genevieve Bent

Genevieve Bent

EMPIRE WINDRUSH HMT Empire Windrush was originally a cruise

ship (called Monte-Rosa) used in Germany, in the

1930s and was also used as a transportation

vessel in WW2.

In 1948, Empire Windrush travelled from

Australia to London, it docked in Kingston,

Jamaica and after a newspaper advert promising

employment in London, people across the

Caribbean decided to embark upon this journey

to the ‘Mother Country’.

There were almost 1100 people aboard the

Windrush, which arrived in Tilbury, 22nd June

1948, for most of which Britain was their final

destination.

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WHAT DOES ‘WINDRUSH GENERATION’ MEAN?

Windrush Generation is the term used for

the group of settlers, which arrived from the

British West Indies, between 1948 and the early

1960s.

Windrush Generation most notably refers to

those who arrived aboard the Windrush, but

many Caribbean people also arrived in the

coming years.

Windrush Generation marks the start of a

multicultural Britain and the development of the

Modern Britain we know today.

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HOW WERE THE WINDRUSH GENERATION WELCOMED?

The arrival of Windrush and the ‘Immigrants’ was BIG news!

Many newspaper reporters greeted them to take pictures of the arrivals and interview some of them.

However, Members of Parliament (MPs) complained after the Windrush arrival, urging for controls on immigration.

The British people were also not happy to see so many Black people in their country, and this marked the start of difficulty ahead for the Windrush Generation.

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A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT The Windrush Generation were not welcomed by the British Citizens.

They were racially abused, refused housing, refused employment, harassed by the police, bullied in schools (by students and teachers) and made to feel like unwanted illegal ‘aliens’.

They were refused all these basic human rights because they were black.

Many of the settlers were forced to live in the underground shelters, that were built for the war such as the Clapham shelter.

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A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT

In 1968, the Race Relations Act 1968 was passed, making it illegal to

discriminate against someone because of their

Race, ethnicity, or nationality.

This followed on from the Race Relations Act 1965

which only addressed discrimination in public

places.

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HOW DID THE WINDRUSH GENERATION CONTRIBUTE TO THE UK?

Almost all the Adults who arrived over the number of years had vocations,

trades and skills that made them highly employable.

They were nurses, electricians, seamstresses, woodworkers, dressmakers

and so much more.

After the Race Relations Act 1968, they were able find more employment,

particularly in London, which had become increasingly diverse, and the

economy began to grow once more.

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THEIR IMPACT

Despite the hardships and

struggles they faced, the

resilience, optimism and

perseverance (some of the

CORE values at HIAC), they

made a huge impact on

British Society.

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SOUNDSYSTEMS Sound systems, were a cheaper alternative to

live music, and were played on the streets,

around the island of Jamaica.

As Caribbean people moved to Britain, in

larger numbers, they brought the

Soundsystem along with them.

They weren’t welcome at traditional clubs,

and could not hear the music they loved, so

parties were set up locally, in houses or

private spaces, and reggae, calypso, ska and

‘Lovers Rock’ music of Soundsystems were

enjoyed.

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TROJAN RECORDS MIX

Trojan Records were one of the biggest record labels and they were British. Founded in 1968, you

can listen to some of the biggest hits here! How does it make you feel?

Genevieve Bent

NOTTING HILL

As areas such as Ladbroke Grove became more and more inhabited

and influenced by West Indian people, racial tensions between White

British and West Indians.

In 1958, following the racially motivated killing of an Antiguan man,

Kelso Cochrane, racial riots broke out in Notting Hill. These were

called the 1958 Notting Hill Riots.

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NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL Claudia Jones, a Trinidadian woman and NottingHill resident, came up with the idea of recreating a smaller scale version of the (now world famous) Trindadian Carnival.

This was to try to bring together the different communities of London.

What started off as a small scale and indoor carnival party, has now grown to be the biggest street Festival in Europe!

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BRIXTONBrixton and Notting Hill/Ladbroke Grove

had the largest inhabitants of Black

Caribbean migrants.

Brixton is well known for being a hub of the

Windrush Community.

From the food markets selling Caribbean

foods, to the Soundsystem and record shops,

to the community centres.

Such was the influence of the Windrush

generation on Brixton, that in 1998 the area

outside of Brixton’s Tate library was

renamed Windrush Square.

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THE WINDRUSH SCANDAL

In 2017, it emerged that the UK

Government had wrongly detained and

deported many Commonwealth citizens,

back to their country of birth, despite

having been here for decades.

Many of these people were part of the

Windrush Generation or their children,

who were now in their 50s and 60s.

This was a grave injustice for the people

who had built their lives in Britain and

hugely contributed to the development of

it.

Genevieve Bent

WINDRUSH DAY 22nd June is Annual Windrush Day.

This is to mark the arrival of the

hundreds of West Indians to the

UK aboard the Empire

Windrush.

Today, we will complete some

activities, in anticipation of

Windrush Day, on Monday.

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Using the video to help you, imagine

you was one of those embarking

Empire Windrush, leaving for the UK.

Create a piece, which describes your

feelings and thoughts about leaving

your home in the Caribbean, for the

UK.

You have complete freedom to be

creative. Write a letter, make a short

video or draw a picture.

Send your final product to your tutor.

Windrush Task 1

Genevieve Bent

In 2017, it emerged the UK had wrongly detained and

deported many Commonwealth citizens, back to their

country of birth, despite having been here for decades.

Many of these people were part of the Windrush

Generation or their children, who were now in their 50s

and 60s.

After watching the video, create a piece, which depicts the

‘Windrush Scandal’ and summarises the way the victims and

their families must have been feeling. Poem, article, artwork,

video, it is up to you.

Send your final product to your tutor.

Windrush Task 3