TOP STORY

08:00

How the Windrush generation inspired art and sculptures

Eager audiences gather at south London’s Horniman Museum

Special film by director and producer Jean Thompson about the representation of the Windrush Generation in art and sculpture

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03:27

Football would be unrecognisable without legacy of Windrush

FORMER Charlton Athletic, Chelsea and Glasgow Celtic player Paul Elliott is Chair of The FA’s Inclusion Advisory Board. Here he gives his thoughts on Windrush 75 and his vision for the future

Football must play its full part in this Windrush 75 anniversary year. The simple truth is that our grassroots, domestic and national game would be unrecognisable and so much poorer without the legacies of the Windrush.

This feels personal to me. My grandparents and my parents were part of that first Windrush generation. Their abiding message to me was that we would need to try twice as hard and be twice as good, just to have an equitable opportunity.

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03:17

Windrush and Commonwealth nurses and midwives honoured

NHS staff gather for stalk given by Jak Buela of Nubian Jak

The event was held outside the Nursing the Nation statue which stands outside London hospital Whittington Health. The statue commemorates the Windrush and Commonwealth nurses and midwives.

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03:08

Brixton Village Unveils Inspiring Windrush Mural 

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Windrush, the ship that brought the first post-war migrants from the Caribbean to Britain in 1948.

To celebrate this historic occasion,  Brixton Village is set to unveil an awe-inspiring mural honouring the courage, hard work and resilience of the Windrush generation. 

Designed by renowned local graffiti artist Bunny, the mural will be unveiled on Windrush Day on Thursday 22nd June. Measuring an impressive 8 x 24 ft, it captures the indelible legacy of the Windrush generation, whose many contributions have helped to create the rich culture of Brixton and beyond.

Diana Nabagereka, the General Manager of Brixton Village said: “In true Brixton fashion, we want to encourage a celebration with us and for us on this day. We hope that, with this magnificent mural, residents and visitors alike can join the Windrush Generation to celebrate the unique stories and understand the rich culture that surrounds this market.”

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3:01

Windrush churches shaped community

The pioneers brought their faith but faced hostility in Britain’s churches, so they set up their own, writes Marcia Dixon MBE.

Most ‘Black churches’ started by the Windrush Generation as they are commonly described, are Pentecostal in their theology and practice, however the term ‘black church’ also includes other denominations like the Wesleyan Holiness Church, which has its roots in Methodism and the Seventh Day Adventist Church.

When Caribbeans took that trip across the Atlantic, between 1948-1971 to work in Britain’s labour-starved industries, they came full of faith.   

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1:18

Community sings for Windrush

Hundreds gather to watch special honourary performance.

Members of the Caribbean Social Forum choir delivering a performance as part of a series of children’s events at the National Maritime Museum celebrating the 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMT Windrush.

12:19

Campaign launched to recover Windrush anchor

Plans to retrieve the anchor from the HMT Empire Windrush have been revealed today, on the 75th anniversary of the ship arriving in Tilbury, writes The Voice reporter Vic Motune.

The Windrush Anchor Foundation has been established to raise the £1 million needed to recover the anchor as a lasting memorial to a voyage that shaped the UK.

The funds will be used to locate the wreck, where the Windrush sank in the deep Mediterranean waters off the coast of Algeria in 1954. The 1.5 tonne anchor will then be lifted and brought back to the UK to be conserved and go on permanent display.

Vernon, trustee of the Windrush Anchor Foundation, said: “The arrival of the Windrush 75 years ago has come to symbolise the beginning of Britain’s evolution into a modern and prosperous multicultural country. 

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11:56

‘We laid the foundation of the transport system‘

Passengers on the Windrush found employment working on the transport network across the UK, writes The Voice reporter Sinai Fleary

In 1956, ten years before Barbados gained independence from Britain, a formal agreement between London Transport (LT) and the Caribbean country was created – which allowed the direct recruitment of Barbadians. 

Many of the Windrush generation were ex-servicemen and women and were well-educated and had many skills, however due to racism and discrimination, they were often denied promotions and had to do low-paid jobs. 

Before Windrush, In 1910, Jamaica-born Joe Clough applied to work at London General Omnibus Company (LGOC) and started work as a spare driver and became the first Black London bus driver.

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11:00

Windrush church service to celebrate #Windrush75 underway

Younger generations gathers to pay respects to Windrush generation.

King Charles is in attendance at the historic ceremony.

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10:38

‘Windrush generation were civil rights leaders’

Racism and discrimination faced by African Americans was echoed in post-war Britain, writes The Voice reporter Vic Motune.

Pioneers like Trinidadian Claudia Jones created the Notting Hill Carnival in the 1950s, but was also an activist spearheading a movement for her community to belong amid racial tension that lives on today. She was also a journalist who founded the West Indian Gazette that gave Caribbean people in Britain “a voice” for the first time – Britain’s first ever Black newspaper. 

Black Bristolians such as Paul Stephenson led the boycott against the Bristol Omnibus Company, inspired by the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 in the US. 

Darcus Howe, a young Black activist and writer who had moved to the UK from Trinidad to study law and played a prominent role in organising protests against the Mangrove raids. His legacy would go on to become a part of a critically acclaimed anthology and be remembered as part of the Mangrove 9.

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08:00

Remembering, celebrating, honouring and learning from the Windrush generation

Leah Mahon is running the LIVEblog today.

We will be live blogging here.

What’s happening where you are? Email [email protected]

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