Windrush Day 2020: EVEWRIGHT takeover and #Windrushtome
Mona Baptiste, Trinidad-born musician, entertains fellow passengers on board the Empire Windrush, June 1948 (Image © Trinity Mirror/Mirrorpix/Alamy Stock Photo)
Monday 22 June was Windrush Day. 72 years ago, the Empire Windrush docked in Tilbury, Essex. On board were hundreds of people from the Caribbean, invited by the British government to take up vital jobs and help rebuild the country. Every passenger on board – and the thousands who subsequently made similar journeys – has their own story to tell, knowledge to impart and and legacy to share.
Now more than ever, it’s important to recognise and celebrate the lives, achievements, struggles and contributions of the Windrush Generation and their families and to amplify the voices of our friends and neighbours with a connection to this historic moment.
Last year, we welcomed 12 Windrush Generation elders and their families to our museum, where, alongside artist EVEWRIGHT, we ate together and shared stories within EVEWRIGHT’s Caribbean Takeaway Takeover: Identities and Stories installation, which we hosted in 2019.
Windrush Day 2019 Caribbean Elders Day with EVEWRIGHT at the Migration Museum at The Workshop, Lambeth (Image © EVEWRIGHT Studio)
Sadly due to the pandemic, we weren’t able to host a similar celebration this year. But we still wanted to be a platform to bring people together and share stories.
EVEWRIGHT took over our Instagram to share details of his new project, Tilbury Walkway of Memories. And throughout the day, we shared personal perspectives on what Windrush means to people across our social channels, using the hashtag #Windrushtome.
We’ve collected together a selection of the videos and responses below:
First up, Allysson Williams MBE, a retired midwife who came to London from Trinidad in 1969, tells us what Windrush Day means to her. You might remember Allysson’s story from the dressing table in the bedroom in our #RoomtoBreathe exhibition. #Windrushtome #WindrushDay2020 pic.twitter.com/CWJX2Dta15
— Migration Museum (@MigrationUK) June 22, 2020
“When I think about Windrush Day, I think about my mother and father, two amazing pioneers who decided to leave Trelawny, Jamaica.” – Artist @EvewrightStudio shares what Windrush means to him and how to get involved in his new Tilbury project #Windrushtome #WindrushDay2020 pic.twitter.com/QO8D4hRHAc
— Migration Museum (@MigrationUK) June 22, 2020
“Windrush Day feels really bittersweet, more bitter than sweet at the moment.” – Researcher and campaigner @elijah_1993 on what Windrush Day means to him, dedicated to his grandma Violet and sister Sadie. #Windrushtome #WindrushDay2020 pic.twitter.com/DdjNBiqIqN
— Migration Museum (@MigrationUK) June 22, 2020
“Europe has much to learn from the Caribbean and its peoples… “, @StrongBackProd founder Dominique Le Gendre what Windrush Day means to her ( 🔊sound on!) #Windrushtome #WindrushDay2020 pic.twitter.com/4ujAaCV0DS
— Migration Museum (@MigrationUK) June 22, 2020
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