Windrush Square and African and Caribbean War Memorial

Windrush Square, Brixton

African and Caribbean War Memorial, Brixton

Empire Windrush, 1948

Windrush Square

Windrush Square is located in the main part of town, in front of Tate Library and was originally known as Brixton Oval. Originally to be made into a garden, Tate Library Garden was beside the public space that would become Windrush Square. Located within the square is the first memorial for colonial soldiers who fought alongside the allies in the world wars. The memorial had been on display since 2014 in the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton, but wasn’t unveiled until 2017. The memorial consists of two 6-foot-long obelisks, made of Scottish whinstone placed on top of limestone. One obelisk is lying down and the other standing, engraved in it words commemorating the African and Caribbean soldiers who fought in the first and second world war. This memorial is important because it is finally representing the soldiers of colour, that for racial prejudices, had been sorely underrepresented and did not get recognition for the actions they took to date. This memorial raises that awareness of those who sacrificed themselves to help the allies, and who later moved to Britain in hopes of starting a new life. This shows that Britain is willing to recognize and honour those who served for them and with them, and shows that they are rewriting their social and military history. Having the town select the Brixton Oval to be renamed Windrush Square shows how important those immigrants were to the growth and diversification of the town, and how they were the ones to make Brixton what it is today.

Alexander, Saffron. "Windrush Generation: 'They thought we should be planting bananas'." TheTelegraph. June 22, 2015. Accessed November 09, 2017. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/goodlife/11683233/Windrush-Generation-They-thought-we-should-be-planting-bananas.html.

Biedka, Elizabeth. "A history of Windrush Square." Eden Harper. June 09, 2014. AccessedNovember 09, 2017. https://www.edenharper.com/news/a-history-of-windrush-square.

"Immigration: This island's story." The Independent. August 22, 2006. Accessed November 09, 2017. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/immigration-this-islands-story-5330283.html.

Morgan, Angela. "African & Caribbean War Memorial Unveiled at Black Cultural Archives in London." Guide London. August 21, 2017. Accessed November 09, 2017.https://www.guidelondon.org.uk/blog/british-military/african-caribbean-war-memorial-unveiled-black-cultural-archives-london/.

Quinn, Linda. "Brixton's Windrush Square to be home of the brave." Brixton Blog. May 26, 2017. Accessed November 09, 2017. http://www.brixtonblog.com/brixtons-windrush-square-to-be-home-of-the-brave/44687.

"War memorial to African-Caribbean soldiers unveiled in London." BBC News. June 22, 2017. Accessed November 09, 2017. http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-40372063.

Importance

After the second world war finished, those soldiers who fought with Britain from their colonies were told they could not remain in England unless they had an English girlfriend or were living with another immigrant who had been living in England prior to the war. Even after everything they had sacrificed, they could not remain in Britain. They were only asked to return when the government realized in 1948 they needed workers in order to fill the spots of those who had been killed during the war. This is when nearly 500 Caribbean people boarded the Empire Windrush to arrive in Britain, on June 22 1948, although they were not welcomed by many. The date of their arrival is important because it marked "the start of the post-war immigration movement from the Commonwealth"[1]. From the beginning the Windrush generation faced subtle and outward racism from the British government, institutions and communities around them. They were not welcomed by most civilians, as they tried to find work, but had to remain non visible as employers feared that their products would not sell if blacks were seen handling the products. This generation of British Caribbean's were able to pave the way for future generations that would arrive from the colonies, to show that it was possible to get better opportunities for themselves. Of course, they were faced with racism for many decades, and was one of the many struggles the Caribbean communities in Brixton would face. The Windrush generation, and those that followed, were not appreciated or recognized for the actions and aid they had given to the British. It took 70 years for coloured, colonial soldiers to be recognized for their deeds during the world wars. The memorial for African – Caribbean soldiers was the first step in recognizing that there were others who worked alongside England and the Allies during the World Wars. It was the Windrush generation, a community of ex-veterans from the second world war, that marked the integration of post-war immigrants from the Commonwealth, into Britain's communities. The arrival of African-Caribbean brought a start to the ethnically diversified populations throughout England, and saw a significant increase in Commonwealth immigrants from other colonies[2]. This diversification of communities, brought along tensions that faced a racially mixed community as racism was still rampant throughout most cities in England.

[i] Linda Quinn, "Brixton's Windrush Square to be home of the brave." Brixton Blog. May 26, 2017, Accessed November 09, 2017, http://www.brixtonblog.com/brixtons-windrush-square-to-be-home-of-the-brave/44687.

[ii] "Immigration: This island's story." The Independent. August 22, 2006. Accessed November 09, 2017. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/immigration-this-islands-story-5330283.html

[iii]"Immigration: This island's story." The Independent. August 22, 2006. Accessed November 09, 2017. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/immigration-this-islands-story-5330283.html

Windrush Generation Black History Month special

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