by
Ryan Clement
TODAY IS WINDRUSH DAY 2024. Of course, not everyone from the Caribbean in the 1950s and 1960s arrived on the famous Empire Windrush, which, incidentally, was a German built ship initially named MV Monte Rosa.
HOWEVER, it is symbolic of a generation that left the sunny shores of the Caribbean to make their way to what was then known as the Motherland, England. My parents’ generation, The Windrush Generation, were told that London was paved with gold. For some, it was. For many, it wasn’t. Most were invited to work to fill the vacancies that the country struggled to or was unable to fill by the local workforce. Many came with a 5-year plan to work, earn money, pay their taxes and return to Paradise, The Windies. However, those dreams did not materialise for most as they remained beyond their initial plans as they continued to contribute to the country’s prosperity. Many were not to see Paradise again!
WITHOUT QUESTION, many, if not most, faced adversity from those too ignorant to know better. It is of no coincidence, therefore, that the first Race Relations Act was enacted shortly after their arrival, in 1965, followed almost immediately 3 years later by a second, reinforced Act, in 1968.
UNFORTUNATELY, the plight of how many from the Caribbean came to be here or their connection with the Motherland through colonialism or their contribution to Britain’s cause during the two World Wars were not part of the schools’ National Curriculum. So most of us schooled in the United Kingdom had no formal education, up to Primary School level, on how either our parents or our friends’ parents fit in with British History. That is a big failure on and void in part of our educational system.
RECENTLY, I had the pleasure of chatting with Cllr. Michelle Simmons-Safo who, amongst many things, tells us the story of her mother’s and father’s journey to the United Kingdom and concludes with the plight of the Windrush Child with a sequel poem of the same name to accompany her equally beautiful poem, Bound for Britain. I guarantee you, you are going to enjoy these as much as I did.
SO, FINALLY, to Windrush 2024, I say, to coin a phrase from Michelle’s poems, “Windrush Generation, WE salute you!” ❤️
Copyright © Ryan Clement 2024
Ryan Clement 