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There was much furore when Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury Docks, Essex, back in 1948. Excitement and anticipation ringed around commonwealth citizens as they dreamed of a better, more prosperous life in the UK.
But questions were being raised about where the 1,000 passengers would be housed, how long they鈥檇 be staying and issues around social harmony. 11 MPs raised their concerns in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Clement Attlee: 鈥淎n influx of coloured people domiciled here is likely to impair the harmony, strength and cohesion of our public and social life and to cause discord and unhappiness among all concerned.鈥 Somewhat surprisingly, the MPs were Labour.
In celebration of Black History Month in the UK, we delve deeper into the story of Empire Windrush and how it changed the fabric of British life.
Before Empire Windrush
Even before Empire Windrush set sail on its historic journey, the West Indies shared a close bond with Great Britain. During World War II, thousands of Caribbeans volunteered to join the fight with the Royal Air Force (RAF). Some joined for economic reasons, but many joined due to their love of the UK.
In 1955, Portland-local Sam King saw a recruitment advert for the RAF. Curious, he asked his mother for advice: 鈥淢y son, the mother country is at war. Go 鈥 and if you survive, you will not regret it.鈥 So off he went, along with many other West Indians, where he trained as an engineer.
The air force had dismantled its 鈥榗olour bar鈥 in 1939 and, by this point, was vehemently against racism. Many West Indians in the RAF reported how they鈥檇 never experienced even a hint of racism while in service. In fact, the air force clashed with the army and the navy in Whitehall as the older services wanted to re-impose the 鈥榗olour bar鈥 when the war ended. It鈥檚 clear to see why the RAF had such a special relationship with the many African-Caribbeans who enlisted and volunteered.
Rebuilding Britain
Despite the triumph of the Allies in WWII, Britain was struggling. Cities needed rebuilding, rationing was still in place, and the workforce had been decimated. To help alleviate this, the British Nationality Act 1948 was brought in to encourage immigration from Commonwealth nations. It granted full rights of entry and settlement so that Britain could be rebuilt. Industries like British Rail and the National Health Service (NHS) were particularly in need of labour.
Public sentiment (and even political sentiment) was not so welcoming to immigrants, however. Shops would often have signs saying 鈥楴o blacks鈥 while opportunistic landlords inflated rent up to double what they would charge for white residents and squeezed commonwealth citizens into smaller spaces. As a result, many had to be housed by the government in an air-raid shelter in Clapham South.
Tension bubbled under the surface for many years until it erupted into violence in 1958 in Notting Hill. A year later, the Caribbean Carnival (now known as the Notting Hill Carnival) was conceived to try and harmonise race relations. Notting Hill was in need of revitalisation, and during the 60s and 70s, some West Indians opened cafes and clubs, and thus turned it into a bohemian area that attracted the young and trendy across all ethnicities.
Caribbean influence on music
It wasn鈥檛 just the economy that Afro-Caribbeans helped rebuild. They also had an influence on culture, especially music. Jazz, blues and gospel all had an influx of new talent to enrich the existing scene, but it was ska music that most people will associate with the Windrush generation.
The walking basslines and upbeat tempo infected British ears where it culminated into a third wave in the 80s and 90s with bands such as Reel Big Fish, No Doubt (Gwen Stefani鈥檚 old band) and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones.
But just because ska isn鈥檛 as popular as it once was, doesn鈥檛 mean the influence isn鈥檛 felt today. Much of the music you hear today can trace its ancestry back to Caribbean London. Dancehall, UK garage, jungle, hip-hop, grime, dubstep, drum and bass, and reggaeton have all been inspired by Caribbean beats.
One of the first influences came from the optimistic croon of Lord Kitchener and his . The catchy, tropical tune embodied the excitement of the passengers onboard Empire Windrush. But the first big hit came from Desmond Dekker and the Aces when 鈥業sraelites鈥 topped the UK Singles Chart in 1969.
Social harmony prevailed
Despite the racist-tinged concerns of those 11 MPs in 1948 and many social barriers, Caribbean immigrants have made a huge contribution to the prosperity of Britain today. The NHS is now enriched by a broad demographic of immigrants, music has been enlivened across a wide variety of genres, and public opinion very much sided with the Windrush generation when the hit news headlines.
But more can always be done. Empathy is not something that just happens, it must be nurtured. And that nurturing always starts with education. If we learn more about the history, it鈥檚 easier to understand the present.