What does it mean to be a Hero(ine), Unsung: The Windrush Generation A Pillar of Modern Britain

Responding to the clarion call of Empire, the men and women of the ‘Windrush Generation’ left their homes to bring to England the gift of their talents, aspiration, hopes and dreams. They were driven, determined, aspirational and courageous – that is to say, they embodied the timeless human virtues praised by Pharaohs, Emperors, Kings, Queens and Presidents alike. Despite being possessed of the indomitable will of spirit to which I alluded earlier and for which we praise our desired heroes, they nevertheless fell prey to the underbelly of a society that rarely considered them equals.

The men and women of the Windrush Generation were forbidden from purchasing homes on the very island they now considered home. They were limited from sharing recreational activities with people they now considered friends. And the educational system – by immediately labelling many of them as ‘educationally subnormal’ – pigeonholed them into the most limited of educational ‘opportunities’, hindering their future prospects. But they nonetheless thrived: in response to the former, they formulated a ‘Pardner System’ which provided many with the opportunity to raise the funds required to secure their own homes. In response to the latter, they developed ‘weekend schools’, opening the door to academic excellence in the face of educational policies inimical to their scholastic progress. Their collective ingenuity beggars belief. Did they not do the duty for which they were summoned – to serve as a pillar to a nation in reconstruction? They did this, and so much more. They nursed our ailing parents, cleaned our homes as we took part in rebuilding, taught our children, and maintained our public transport. Entire families frequently lived in one room, but nonetheless organised, contributed and continued to serve.