JUNE 21 - 27, 2018
WINDRUSH 70: SOUVENIR EDITION
THE VOICE | 73
WINDRUSH MINERS
Windrush 70 1948 - 2018 Souvenir Edition
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WINDRUSH 70: SOUVENIR EDITION
JUNE 21 - 27, 2018
NOTTINGHAM
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35 years of championing diversity
We acknowledge the immense contribution of the Windrush Generation and their families to British society over the last 70 years. As we celebrate this anniversary let us salute their resilience, dignity and creativity and extend our congratulations for their tremendous achievements.
It has been a privilege to produce this souvenir edition for the Windrush celebrations as a tribute to the pioneers and those who have followed in their footsteps. The Voice is proud to have served this community over the past 35 years and will continue to be a platform for their aspirations. We would like to thank all our contributors. The Voice is a multimedia platform with an average weekly engagement of approximately one million persons globally, covering the UK, USA, Africa and the Caribbean. It is a vehicle through which organisations effectively engage with our community.
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ISSUE NO. 1837 | JUNE 21-27, 2018
Britain’s top black weekly
THE VOICE
With no family ties when he arrived on the Empire Windrush
CELEBRATING CELEBRATING
YEARS YEARS
OF CHAMPIONING OF CHAMPIONING A DIVERSE BRITAIN A DIVERSE BRITAIN
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Supported by
John Richards settled at the Deep Shelter in Clapham
WHAT THE PAPERS SAID IN
1948
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WINDRUSH 70: SOUVENIR EDITION
NOTTINGHAM
JUNE 21 - 27, 2018
Visit voice-online.co.uk/windrush
JUNE 21 - 27, 2018
WINDRUSH 70: SOUVENIR EDITION
THE VOICE |
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MESSAGES
Windrush messages
Leading figures mark the 70th anniversary of the Empire Windrush arriving at Tilbury Docks and pay tribute to the pioneering migrants who travelled to the UK
T
HE 70th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks in Essex gives us a fitting opportunity to celebrate the invaluable contribution the Windrush Generation has made to British society ever since. The Caribbean diaspora in the UK symbolises the indelible bonds between our two sets of islands. There is no better example of that contribution than the dedication of people from the Caribbean to our National Health Service, itself marking 70 years on July 5. Without them it would not be the institution we hold dear today, providing incredible healthcare, and envied across the world. Those from the Windrush Generation worked in the nation’s essential industries, including public transport, the
post office, construction and the armed forces, and are central figures in many communities. Today their children are civil servants, healthcare workers, business owners, professionals, and leading lights in music, sport and film. They are key to Britain’s success. I doubt that there is a corner of Britain that has not been inspired and enriched by the Windrush Generation and their descendants. From their efforts in reviving our great cities after the war, to Britain’s first black MPs entering Parliament and demanding that all Britons have a stake in society. The pioneering Caribbean racial and social justice campaigners who pushed for legislative and social change calling for a fairer Britain. And let’s not forget the power of our sporting and cultural heroes, who through their skill,
by West Indian pioneers like Sir Garfield Sobers and Sir Viv Richards. The Caribbean community has been integral to creating a Britain that is fairer, more tolerant and more at ease with itself in a changing world. The real beginning of Britain’s contemporary diversity is with those first men, women and children who made the journey from the Caribbean and disembarked at Tilbury Docks on June 22, 1948. Lord Tariq Ahmad of Life held many hardships Wimbledon - Minister of State, the Commonweath and the UN for those who arrived and the streets were certainly not ‘paved with gold’. Many were talent and discipline used their even returning to the UK havgifts to make an indelible mark ing already served here during to help create a proud, united the war. and multicultural Britain. The fortitude shown as they There is the impact players overcame daunting challenges such as John Barnes MBE and and built successful lives and Ian Wright MBE have had on businesses for themselves and football in England. Cricket their families has come to rephas been hugely influenced resent a strength in spirit that
we continue to see today. It is an experience and spirit that I personally relate to as it is reminiscent of the challenges my parents themselves faced as well as the opportunities offered by their adopted nation. The Windrush Generation came from several countries including Jamaica, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago. The UK continues to enjoy strong relationships with these and other Commonwealth Caribbean countries reinforced by the personal ties of the diaspora. The UK is the single largest bilateral donor to the Caribbean. Our investments are helping to make the lives of Caribbean people today better in a number of ways. Through the UK-Caribbean Infrastructure Fund, the UK is investing over £300 million in critical economic infrastructure across the Caribbean; increasing resilience to natural disasters
and climate change; promoting growth; and creating jobs. Following last year’s devastating hurricanes, the UK contributed more than £196 million to help the region’s recovery. This includes £19 million, announced at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April, to strengthen disaster preparedness and resilience across the Caribbean region. We are also supporting the Caribbean’s future development and prosperity with ongoing collaboration on regional priorities such as security and fighting crime. As we take a moment to consider this momentous occasion and its role in UK-Caribbean relations, it is my honour, as Minister of State for the Caribbean and the Commonwealth, to join in celebrating the achievements of the Windrush Generation and its legacy.
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MESSAGES
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Messages and homage to those brave, cherished pioneers H.E. GUY HEWITT, BARBADOS’ HIGH COMMISSIONER TO THE UK
A
S BARBADOS’ first London-born High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, a product of Commonwealth migration to Britain, I am officially and personally honoured to be part of the 70th anniversary celebrations of the arrival of the Empire Windrush. The Windrush arrival should be remembered in perpetuity as the symbol of the birth of multicultural Britain. Between 1948 and 1973, in response to the call from the ‘Mother Country’ for assistance in the rebuilding of postwar Britain, approximately 550,000 West Indians (over 10 per cent of the Commonwealth
Caribbean population) made the bold sacrifice and migrated to the United Kingdom. It is estimated that 28,000 Barbadians were part of that journey. However, this commitment was not without peril. Many
Nonetheless, they persevered and with toil, sweat and tears played an essential role in helping to build a modern, global Britain. Some of the many outstanding individuals who left the
“The Caribbean migrants played an essential role in helping to build a modern, global Britain” Caribbean migrants faced indescribable hostility. Some still recall the infamous Teddy Boys and the Notting Hill race riots and the signs which read, ‘No Irish, No blacks, No dogs’.
West Indies to subsequently call the UK home include nursing pioneer, Mary Seacole; broadcasters, Sir Trevor McDonald and Moira Stuart OBE; bishop, The Rt Revd Dr
Wilfred Wood, KA; composer, Errollyn Wallen; footballers, the late Cyrille Regis MBE and John Barnes MBE; train guard, Asquith Xavier; academic, Professor Stuart Hall; athlete, Linford Christie OBE; actors, the late Norman Beaton, Carmen Munroe OBE and Rudolph Walker OBE; racehorse trainer, Sir Michael Stoute and the late author, Samuel “Sam” Selvon. It is with great regret that in the year that we celebrate this milestone, the nation found itself embroiled in the Windrush Generation scandal. However, the resolution could be described as a modern-day miracle. In less than a week, a story that was for too long begging for attention be-
came front page news and in the process won the hearts of a nation and engaged the mind of a government. The apology, the offer of full British citizenship and an offer of compensation are much appreciated and reflect the spirit
of the Commonwealth to work as a family and to uphold fundamental human rights. However, there is a wider issue. As we gather to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the arrival of the Windrush, 50 years on from Enoch Powell’s odious Rivers of Blood speech and 25 years on from the murder of Stephen Lawrence, the incontrovertible truth is that Britain appears ill-at-ease with matters of race and migration. Perhaps the celebration of the arrival of the Empire Windrush at Tilbury, will provide the opportunity to bring this multicultural society together and begin the process of having a truly United Kingdom.
H.E SETH GEORGE RAMOCAN, HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR JAMAICA
I
WARMLY greet readers of this Windrush 70 souvenir issue of The Voice and thank The Voice Media Group for affording me this opportunity to join in highlighting through this medium, the 70th anniversary of the docking on June 22, 1948, of the SS Empire Windrush at Tilbury. The arrival of close to 500 Caribbean migrants, who came, settled and provided well-needed labour to assist in the rebuilding efforts of Great Britain after the Second World War, was a defining moment in the history of a multicultural post-war Britain. This ought to be appropriately recognised and celebrated. The commemoration
of this important milestone fittingly coincides with the 70th anniversary of the National Health Service and the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Nurses Association, UK, which are important links between Caribbean nurses and their contribution to the development of British society. It is well known that many of the Caribbean nationals that arrived on the Empire Windrush were employed to the fledging National Health Service and were known to provide high quality healthcare. On this important occasion, I am reminded of the strength, determination and resilience of the Windrush Generation and their
descendants, who struggled against the odds and triumphed over adversity to play a pivotal role in helping to shape modern British society. Their influence can be felt across various
fields such as business, education, entertainment, health, politics and religion. The Notting Hill Carnival for example highlights the crosscutting influence of persons such as the late Sam B. King, MBE, Jamaican Windrush pioneer, who was not only instrumental in paving the way for Britain’s first multicultural festival, but was a community activist and politician who became the first black mayor of the borough of Southwark. It is indeed regrettable that despite their valuable contribution to Britain’s development, many immigrants from the Windrush Generation have been subjected to humiliation, embarrassment and injustice due to existing UK
immigration laws. We are pleased that relevant actions are being taken following the call by CARICOM Heads of Government during the recently held 2018 CHOGM. We hope that the crisis will be addressed speedily, thoroughly, decisively and fairly so that the victims of these grave injustices can feel a sense of hope and security and that their dignity has been restored. Finally, I commend The Voice for its role in promoting understanding and preserving the important memories of the Windrush Generation. I also encourage readers to attend and support the various activities which have been organised across the UK to mark this milestone.
CLLR LIB PECK, LEADER LAMBETH COUNCIL; CLLR SONIA WINIFRED, CABINET MEMBER EQUALITIES AND CULTURE
L
AMBETH HAS been a constant and significant backdrop to the Windrush story. It was where the majority of the passengers from the Caribbean headed when they disembarked the Windrush at the port of Tilbury 70 years ago. Many settled in the borough, building businesses, bringing up families and creating the borough we have today - proud of its diversity, tolerance and openness. Lambeth Town Hall has played its part too and we are delighted that after extensive refurbishment it was re-opened in January this year and will be the venue for a number of Windrush 70 events including
a tea party for older residents on June 22, a special performance by the Phoenix Dance Theatre and an exhibition of Harry Jacobs’ photographs. Music played in the town hall found new and enthusiastic audiences and became firmly entrenched in Britain’s cultural heritage. It was where the famous No Colour Bar Dance was held in 1955 and this year it was where we were delighted to welcome communities minister Lord Bourne to the launch of the Windrush70 logo and website designed by young people from the Brixton based social enterprise Champion Design. There is a fantastic range of events taking place around the
TOUCHING TRIBUTES: Sonia Winifred, left, and Lib Peck country to mark this special anniversary and organising those events has brought people and communities together. What’s been most inspiring in Lambeth is the inter-gen-
erational mix that has seen Young Lambeth Co-op work alongside the Windrush Foundation and others on a series of workshops, talks, and of course the Windrush 70 domi-
noes tournament in Windrush Square. The shared enthusiasm, the thirst for knowledge and understanding about the Windrush Generation and the massive impact on Britain breaks down any age barriers. More importantly, the involvement of young people means that 2018 doesn’t just commemorate history, it keeps the legacy alive and creates new memories, new histories and heritage to share. Lambeth has been, and continues to be, enriched by people who come and make their homes here. We are proud to have welcomed more Syrian refugee families than any other London borough and the contribution of Lambeth’s
Portugese, Somalian and Ethiopian communities enrich us all. What people bring to our borough are treasures to share - knowledge, skills and experience from their lives and other lands - recipes passed down through generations, music and stories from distant childhoods, art, literature, imagination and ideas. Windrush 70 is not just a commemoration of a long journey made by several hundred people, but a recognition of their legacy which has changed all our lives - culturally, socially, economically and politically. As the Windrush 70 logo says, it’s part of our DNA and nowhere more so than Lambeth.
JUNE 21 - 27, 2018
WINDRUSH 70: SOUVENIR EDITION
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WINDRUSH MINERS
CELEBRATING TH THE 70 ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARRIVAL OF THE EMPIRE WINDRUSH IN TILBURY PLEASE JOIN US ON FRIDAY 22ND JUNE, 1PM - 6PM AT THE LONDON CRUISE TERMINAL, TILBURY
The Windrush disembarked its passengers at Tilbury in 1948 and became an important landmark event in the history of modern Britain. To mark the anniversary The Tilbury Riverside Project, Thurrock Council and The Port of Tilbury are hosting a free community event that celebrates how Caribbean culture has become a vital part of British society and transformed aspects of British life.
WHAT’S ON AT THE EVENT Movement of the People See an excerpt from the acclaimed new production for 2018 marking the anniversary of the arrival of SS Empire Windrush Royal Opera House Thurrock Community Chorus Listen to our local residents who have found their voices and are part of the Community Chorus Gary Cordice The spoken word and the story of the Windrush
And more: • Dance performances from our local dance groups: Elite and Tiny Tappers • Heritage displays • Kinetika puppet • ‘Songs of the Lower Reaches’ from the William Palmer Trust • Face painting with a carnival theme
Star Sports Can you sprint like Usain Bolt? Come along and race your friends
• A talk from an ex-crew member of the Windrush
Commedia Dancing and singing with a Jamaican flavour
FREE ENTRY TO ALL EVENTS! WWW.FORTHPORTS.CO.UK @FORTHPORTS FACEBOOK.COM/FORTHPORTSCOMMUNITY