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CELEBRATING WINDRUSH DAY By Pa Modou Faal After World War II, the United Kingdom’s economy their papers and their families’ which avert them from needed to be rebuilt to meet the much-desired being deported. Unfortunately, so many people fell demands of industrialisation and economic prey to this unexplainable circumstance. Most of them developments. In that regard, the British government Jamaicans and others from the Caribbean Islands were stormed the Caribbean islands and recruited Afro- sent back to their ‘unknown’ countries on grounds of Caribbean migrants and offered them jobs. These jobs illegal migrants. included the production of steel, coal, iron, and food, These people ended up experiencing great deal of and also jobs in the service sectors, such as running prejudice and hardship on the account of their colour public transport and staffing the new National Health and heritage. It is a moment we celebrate now not Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom. June 22 of 1948, because of the dark side of the history it writes but the Empire Windrush ship docked on the harbour of in appreciation of their efforts, strides and resilience Tilbury in Essex bringing in a labour force we now called that avails us many privileges we enjoy today not the Windrush Generation. They were all documented just as black people but as children of humanity such and profiled to take part in the development of the as the NHS, reliable transport system and industrial United Kingdom as former colonies of the British developments. It is against this backdrop that June Empire. 22 is set aside to commemorate the Windrush history As years went by and British legislation changed, now called Windrush Day. We also celebrate this day to targeting immigrants, one would now need a British strengthen the enlightenment of the generation and passport or a legal residence and work permit to be to celebrate how far we have come and forge a brighter able to work in England. Members of the Windrush future for the younger generation. generation who were brought from the West Indies with The city of Derby became home to many influential legal documentation, lost their jobs and freedoms as people and organisations of the Windrush generation they were not regarded as British citizens. These people heritage, and they continue to occupy pivotal roles are still waiting to be compensated both in monetary in the development of the city. Among them include value and legal documentation because they are told Professor Cecile Wright, Lloyd George Newby – that they do not have the right document or are not in MBE, Derby Windrush Action Group. This year’s the system. How could someone go to school, sign up commemoration of Windrush Day marks the 5th to a doctor, pay utility bills and is still not found in the anniversary since its inception. On Windrush Day regularisation system, yet the same people could be celebration, salient issues are highlighted such as the found in any system to pay such bills. For the few ones legacy, racial inequality, segregation as well as building who could afford financial and legal tussles, fought for the future for the future generation.
