It was 1948 when a ship carrying 1,027 passengers, most of which were from the Caribbean, travelled from Jamaica all the way to London. Its passengers had responded to a call for workers to help the UK rebuild its economy after the excruciating war in the hopeful exchange for British citizenship, but little did they know they would face terrible discrimination and hardship once they set foot in the UK.
Once they arrived in the UK, the passengers of the Empire Windrush ship were denied the right to housing, jobs and even places to eat and churches, just because of the colour of their skin. They had fled from their countries' poverty only to face greater challenges in their new home. Today, we also know that many of the Windrush generation were treated inhumanely, not receiving medical care or worse.
Today, on Windrush Day, June 22, we celebrate the Caribbean community and the people who travelled far away from their homes. It is thanks to them and their legacy that we now live in a multicultural society and keeping their memory alive is so important.
Learn about the history of Windrush, the Windrush generation and how, without them, history may have gone in a completely different direction. This wonderful selection of children's books is the perfect way to honour the people that left life as they new it to create a brand new future for themselves -- and Great Britain -- in the UK.
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