Windrush 77: Honouring Legacy, Demanding Justice
This month, Britain marks Windrush 77 — the 77th anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush, the ship that brought hundreds of Caribbean passengers to the UK in 1948. This annual commemoration is not just a moment of reflection on migration and multiculturalism—it’s also a demand for justice, accountability, and recognition of a generation that helped build modern Britain.
On 22 June 1948, the Empire Windrush docked at Tilbury in Essex, carrying around 500 Caribbean men and women, many of them former servicemen, who came to Britain in response to labour shortages after World War II. They were invited to help rebuild the country—and they came with hope, dignity, and determination.
This marked the symbolic beginning of a wave of post-war migration from the Caribbean to Britain, giving rise to what’s now called the Windrush Generation.
The Windrush Generation played an essential role in shaping post-war Britain. They worked in hospitals, factories, public transport, and schools. They founded churches, community centres, and businesses. Their cultural and social contributions laid the foundation for the multicultural society that Britain claims to be today.
Despite their service, many faced open racism, housing discrimination, police harassment, and systemic exclusion. Yet they endured—and raised generations who have become doctors, teachers, musicians, activists, MPs, and more.
In 2018, Britain was rocked by revelations that hundreds of members of the Windrush Generation had been wrongfully detained, denied healthcare, made homeless, and even deported—due to the government’s “hostile environment” immigration policies.
The scandal sparked outrage, exposed deep flaws in the Home Office’s treatment of Black British citizens, and forced the resignation of then-Home Secretary Amber Rudd.
More than five years on, justice has been slow. Compensation payments have been delayed or denied. Many of those affected have died without resolution. Campaigners warn that lessons have still not been learned.
Windrush 77 is a moment to honour legacy. It commemorates the generation who came not as strangers, but as British citizens—invited to help rebuild a war-torn nation. These individuals arrived with dignity, hope, and a deep sense of responsibility. Their hard work in the NHS, transport, industry, and civil society laid much of the foundation for the Britain we know today. Honouring their legacy means recognising their sacrifices and contributions with the respect and gratitude they have long deserved.
It exposes ongoing injustice. The Windrush scandal revealed the cruel reality that, decades later, members of that same generation were being treated as criminals in a country they helped build. Many lost homes, jobs, access to healthcare, or were even deported—simply because of bureaucratic failure and hostile immigration policies. Commemorating Windrush without confronting these injustices would be hollow. Windrush 77 is a call to ensure such wrongs are not repeated and that justice is delivered.
It challenges historical amnesia. Far too often, the contributions of Caribbean, African, and Asian people to British history are ignored or erased. Windrush 77 demands that Britain tells the full truth about its postwar recovery—a story that includes migration, resilience, and multiculturalism at its heart. This anniversary is an opportunity to ensure the next generation learns a history that reflects the realities of empire, migration, and racial justice.
It inspires new generations. The Windrush Generation stood tall in the face of racism, exclusion, and hardship. Their determination paved the way for future generations to claim their place in British society. Today, their resilience continues to inspire young people to fight for justice, equality, and representation. Windrush 77 is not just about remembrance—it’s a living legacy that motivates ongoing struggle for a fairer, more inclusive Britain.
Windrush 77 isn’t just a look back at history—it’s a lens through which we see the present more clearly.
“They came to build, not to beg.
They came as citizens, not intruders.
Windrush is not a favour Britain did for them—
It is a debt Britain still owes.”
In Birmingham, on Sunday 22 June, MAC Birmingham will be hosting the Windrush Legacy Outdoor Concert & Exhibition in Cannon Hill Park. Starting at 3 pm, it begins with a vibrant marching parade (by the SDA Pathfinder Drum Core), followed by music performances, spoken word, speeches, a one‑man play, and tributes celebrating the Windrush Generation legacy and the NHS’s origins.
The Birmingham 'Windrush 77' Service of Thanksgiving will take place at the New Testament Church of God, 240 Lozells Road, Birmingham B19 1NP, at 3:00 pm. Free admission. A reflective and respectful tribute to the contributions and legacy of the Windrush Generation.
To find out more about these events, visit:
Windrush Legacy Outdoor Concert & Exhibition
