Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Kerrie Symmonds, has accepted the flag of the Windrush Generation group.
Mr. Symmonds, who accepted the flag on behalf of Government, met with a delegation from the Windrush Generation group, led by directors Nigel Guy and Charles Dacres, at the Ministry’s Culloden Road, St. Michael location recently, as part of the delegation’s Caribbean tour.
During the meeting, background on the history of the Windrush Generation was shared, which highlighted that in 1948 the HMT Empire Windrush vessel docked in Tilbury, Essex, carrying passengers from the Caribbean to the United Kingdom (UK).
According to the National Archives, which holds the ship’s passenger list, there were 1,027 people on board, of which more than 800 gave their last country of residence as being in the Caribbean, including Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Lucia, Grenada, Barbados, and Jamaica. Those persons on board the ship became known as the Windrush Generation.
In 1971, the Immigration Act gave Commonwealth citizens living in the UK the permanent right to live and work in the UK, including those referred to as the Windrush Generation. However, it was disclosed that the UK Home Office in April 2018 had kept no records of those granted permission to stay.
This affected persons from the Windrush Generation who were not issued paperwork and were unable to confirm their status and the right to legally live and work in the UK, and as a result prevented them from accessing work, housing and healthcare, and they faced possible deportation.
Director Guy said the group seeks to highlight the seven Cs, which are the commemoration of the Windrush Generation; the celebration; the contributions they made; the care that is needed for the Windrush Generation; the challenges and conflicts that are faced by them; and change.
Minister Symmonds, upon hearing the seven Cs, suggested that the group add an additional ‘C’, which would be “conscience” because he felt that there was an absence of justice in dealing with the Windrush Generation
Director Guy gave an explanation of the flag’s design, which has a blue background, a triangle logo with the text We Are Standing On Their Shoulders Windrush Generations and a ship in the middle of the triangle.
“The triangular shape takes on the form of our people’s journey, from the African continent all the way to the Caribbean, to the Americans and also the journey to Europe – United Kingdom. The richness of our people is the gold, the red is the blood that’s been sacrificed throughout the centuries and also the sacrifices that people have made in the UK as well….
“A white background is done in the UK, but we thought we’d have a blue background for the Caribbean nations to signify the warmth and colour of the sky and the sea,” Mr. Guy explained.
The Windrush Generation delegation visited Barbados as part of a Caribbean tour, which included stops in Dominica; Grenada; Jamaica; Saint Lucia; and Trinidad and Tobago. They were garnering support for the raising of the flag one day in May to commemorate the sailing of the Windrush vessel from Caribbean ports.
Also present at the meeting were Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office with responsibility for Culture, Senator Dr. Shantal Munro-Knight; Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Paula Byer; PMO’s Press Secretary, Alex Downes; and Foreign Service Officer, Asha Pitt.