COVENTRY marked the 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush on Thursday with a special flag-raising ceremony.
The flag was raised outside the council house with many local dignitaries in attendance, including council leader Coun George Duggins, Lord Mayor Coun Jaswant Singh Birdi and descendants of the ‘Windrush generation.’
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Pictures by Marcus Mingins 2523011MMR6 www.buyphotos247.com
The HMT Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury Docks in Essex on June 22, 1948, carrying 800 passengers from the Caribbean.
Encouraged by the 1948 British Nationality Act, which granted citizenship and the right of abode to all members of the British Empire, those on the Windrush were the first of many from British Commonwealth countries who travelled to the UK between then and 1971.
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The flag is flying. Picture by Marcus Mingins 2523011MMR2 www.buyphotos247.com
However, many of the Windrush generation was met with racism, with many refusing to acknowledge their professional skills.
They also faced very different living conditions.
‘Windrush Day’ helps to recognise the contribution that generation and their descendants made to help shape modern Britain.
As well as the flag-raising ceremony, a Civic Reception is being planned for later in the summer for representatives of the ‘Windrush generation’ and their descendants.
The city council’s deputy leader, Coun Abdul Salam Khan, said: “HMT Empire Windrush has become a symbol of the many people who travelled to the UK to help our country rebuild after the Second World War.
“They faced many hardships and had to overcome so many challenges, but they helped our industries and our cities to come back from those dark days and to flourish once more – and Coventry was one of those to benefit from their arrival.
“The city is indebted to their efforts. They not only helped our city to rebuild physically, but they also helped create the amazing vibrant, multicultural home we have today.”
