Between 2019 and early 2021, I experienced the heart-wrenching loss of both my paternal grandparents. With their passing, I not only mourned their presence in my life but also the invaluable connection to the Windrush generation they embodied. They carried with them untold stories and family histories that are now forever lost. As we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the first Caribbean arrivals in 1948, the reality of losing more pioneers from this generation weighs heavily on my mind. The void this creates for descendants like myself is immeasurable.
Where does this loss leave us, the subsequent generations? We, the ones who straddle both Britain and our ancestral islands, born in one but raised with fading memories of the other. As millennials, our parents, now in their 50s and 60s, were also born here or brought to Britain at a young age. Many have never returned to their birthplaces. And now, as their parents pass away, a sense of detachment emerges, a link that we cannot afford to sever.
The pressing question for me is one of responsibility. Are we obligated to ensure the enduring legacy of the Windrush generation continues? And how can we do this with authenticity and honesty as our direct connections to the past diminish? At times, I feel the weight of this responsibility intensely. I worry about the lack of tangible knowledge to pass on to future generations. To bridge this gap, I’ve taken steps such as learning to cook Jamaican cuisine, delving into my father’s record collection for clues, making my first visit to Jamaica in my thirties, and establishing connections with distant relatives on that side of the family. These explorations have brought me immense joy through cultural discoveries and shared stories, yet I question if they are enough.
Navigating this quest feels particularly challenging due to the deep fractures in my paternal family. Sitting at my grandmother’s feet, listening to her stories while she braided my hair, was never an option. my dad entered the care system as an infant, and his parents never brought him home. They existed only on the periphery of his life and had minimal involvement in their grandchildren’s lives. By the time my grandparents passed in their 80s, they were practically strangers to me. I have only two or three hazy memories of them, relying mostly on photographs for their faces.
This disjointed family history is not unique to me. Numerous families of Caribbean descent have experienced fractures due to the long-lasting impacts of a hostile environment that made life unduly difficult for migrants who arrived in the 1950s. The prospects and quality of life for their descendants continue to be affected. Children being left behind while their parents settled in the UK, known as “barrel children,” faced further splintering of families. Moreover, the ongoing Windrush scandal tore families apart with threats of deportation and traumatizing experiences of being barred from returning home after traveling abroad. Some individuals were even deported to countries they hadn’t visited since childhood.
While I appreciate the opportunity to celebrate on Windrush Day, I remain aware that those being honored still suffer at the hands of the state. The British government has recently faced accusations of “failing its citizens” through the belittling and flawed Windrush compensation scheme established by the Home Office in 2018. Delays and controversies have marred the scheme, with three in four claimants still awaiting compensation as of June last year.
Given our present and immediate history tainted by unresolved pain and a lack of accountability, it becomes challenging to embrace the future with optimism. There is an ongoing need to acknowledge and rectify the injustices that persist.
Perhaps, then, the responsibility towards the Windrush generation and their legacy should be collective rather than individual. It shocked me to realize that despite approximately 2,500 museums in Britain, there is no permanent establishment dedicated exclusively to presenting the stories of Windrush pioneers and their descendants. This represents a crucial starting point. Dr. Les Johnson, founder and chair of the campaign for a National Windrush Museum, and the newly formed Next Gen development council are actively countering the historical erasure of Windrush from Britain’s collective memory.
The immense contributions of the Windrush generation, including my grandparents, have shaped the fabric of British society and will continue to shape Britain’s future with their revolutionary spirit. Preserving these stories is of utmost importance.
On an individual level, I feel compelled to create a life that celebrates this spirit and embeds their histories into a new identity of Black Britishness, not only for myself but also for future generations. This approach resonates with authenticity, ensuring these narratives do not fade away.
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