After World War II, people from around the Commonwealth were invited by the UK government to help rebuild the country. Named after a boat that sailed from the Caribbean to the UK, this ‘Windrush’ generation answered the call.
Despite being British citizens (a legacy of empire) people faced systemic and interpersonal racism. But communities came together to work for justice.
You can see an online exhibition from Journey to Justice bringing together inspirational stories from the US civil rights movement with struggles for freedom in Birmingham and the West Midlands.
How does the legacy of empire affect economic (in)equality in Birmingham today?
How can we continue our journey to justice as a city?
In 2012 the Hostile Environment led to the mass violation of rights of the Windrush generation and their descendants. and lost access to essential services. More than 16,000 British citizens were misclassified as illegal immigrants. Many were wrongfully detained, deported while other lost their jobs and access to pensions, essential services, housing.
A compensation scheme was created by the Home Office, but it has fallen short of delivering justice and the impacts of the scandal are still experienced to this day. Only 6% of eligible applicants have received compensation and less than ⅓ of allocated funds have been paid out after nearly 5 years. Victims continue to live under threats of detention and deportation.
Sign the open letter to party leaders calling for #Justice4Windrush
The letter calls on the leaders of UK political parties to appoint an independent, neutral body to oversee the Windrush Compensation Scheme and to pledge delivery of full compensation to Windrush victims as part of their forthcoming general election manifestos.
And feel free to pop into Peace Hub to read more stories, share your thoughts, and have a friendly chat about how you can get involved.
We are highlighting this letter, as we feel it is a positive campaign that fits our current theme. it should not be inferred that Justice4Windrush or associated organisations endorse Peace Hub in any way.