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Today is June 22nd, Windrush Day
"WELCOME HOME!" was the Evening Standard headline, as the paper sent a plane to greet the Windrush in 1948. That headline was because a third of the 400 Windrush passengers were RAF servicemen from the Caribbean, returning to Britain post-war
"WELCOME HOME!" was the Evening Standard headline, as the paper sent a plane to greet the Windrush in 1948. That headline was because a third of the 400 Windrush passengers were RAF servicemen from the Caribbean, returning to Britain post-war
My friend @pvernon has done a tremendous amount over the years to establish Windrush Day. We worked with him to coordinate the 2013 call from a civic & faith coalition, inc Windrush passengers, for government to recognise Windrush Day as an annual event. http://www.britishfuture.org/articles/windrush-day-an-opportunity-to-give-thanks/
We talk of Windrush as the beginning of post-war immigration. That 1948 headline captures why it is better understood as also a new chapter in the longer history of Empire & Commonwealth, service & contribution which made Britain the country we are today https://capx.co/windrush-at-70-a-totemic-chapter-in-britains-long-immigration-story/
I spoke to Windrush passenger and RAF veteran Sam King about his experience. He went on to be Mayor of Southwark. He felt it was victory in the Lords Test of 1950 two summers later that showed the West Indians had really arrived. Sam died in 2016 RIP. https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/opendemocracyuk/windrush-docks-in-britain-65-years-on-today/
The government did later officially adopt @Windrushday in 2018, making this one part of its acknowledgement and apology for mistreatment of the Windrush Scandal. New sculptures will be unveiled in Hackney 2021 to mark the Windrush Generation's contribution https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/jun/22/sculptures-honouring-windrush-generation-to-be-unveiled-in-london-in-2021
Correct link to Patrick Vernon - @ppvernon - a persistent driving force of Windrush campaigns, both to secure historic recognition and address contemporary injustices, for many years https://twitter.com/ppvernon/status/1274970427677343747
Small Island is streaming on YouTube from the National Theatre until Thursday. We watched it at the weekend: a tremendously powerful production - and a perfect way to mark Windrush Day today too https://twitter.com/NTLive/status/1273725113817497601
Pathe newsreel of the Windrush's arrival (46 seconds)
Lord Kitchener, a passenger on the boat, sings "London is the place for me" at 2 minutes in on the Pathe report
Lord Kitchener, a passenger on the boat, sings "London is the place for me" at 2 minutes in on the Pathe report
We talk of Windrush as the beginning of post-war immigration. The 1948 headline captures why it is better understood as a new chapter within the longer history of Empire & Commonwealth, service & contribution which made Britain the country we are today https://capx.co/zaNt0
My friend @pvernon did a tremendous amount to establish Windrush Day. The call to officially mark Windrush Day annually made in 2013, for 65th anniversary, by coalition, inc Windrush passengers, coordinated by @ppvernon @britishfuture faith & civic voices http://www.britishfuture.org/articles/windrush-day-an-opportunity-to-give-thanks/
