Windrush

Description

On 22 June 1948 the Empire Windrush passenger ship arrived in Tilbury Docks (Essex) from Jamaica. Encouraged by the British Government with promises of employment and prosperity, hundreds of workers travelled to Britain to help rebuild the country after the Second World War had left it in ruins. The arrival of the Windrush ship marked the beginning of the post-war immigration success. This playlist is devoted to the Windrush generation, a label applied to those who came to the UK from Caribbean countries between 1948 and 1971. In 2012 the British government brought into effect new legislation that resulted in some of the Windrush generation residents becoming illegal immigrants. Many were denied citizenship and, in some cases, ended up being wrongly detained and even deported. This is reflected in some of the news items included in the material collected here. The playlist also includes both documentaries and drama.

Curator

Sergio Angelini, Learning on Screen

Subject

• History

Keywords

Black history, decolonisation, immigration.

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