Black History Month

Welcome to 4U2news mag 2020 Black History Month, this year we have focused on “Black Facts” for thought and reflection.

70th Anniversary of Wind Rush

Generations, who journeyed to Britain from the Caribbean, arrived by invitation; the majority came on one-way tickets carrying British Passports. “We came to work and study,
hoping to return within 5 years” (smile). Few came to stay, but did so for uncharted reasons. There were opportunities, but not what were expected. “We arrived subjected to a hostile climate of racial inconsequence and inequality of opportunities. Journeys to Britain started since World Wars 1, with West Indian servicemen and women, Commonwealth Citizens, skilled and semi-skilled, educated and knowledgeable, single, married, religious and
innovative, healthy and dedicated, geared to work, with hope to aspire in chosen fields.
Willing to play the game, ready to give and receive. The majority came from the island Jamaica, northern Caribbean, a sizeable distance away from others in the Southern and Eastern Caribbean, an archipelago of tropical countries, homelands in the Caribbean Basin. While the Caribbean Leaders were discussing fiscal arrangements to federate, Britain’s economy was shattered needing support to
rebuild.

As we come together in celebration of the generations who led laying foundations,
let us honour their efforts as their stories unfold. Applaud them for gallantry, self-discipline and resolve, sacrifices made, particularly for the fulfillment of their
aspirations. There are still other historical chronicles of life experiences waiting to
be discovered, we must seek to find them add then to the wealth already gathered
and curated for the enrichment of this reservoir of amazing accounts. For sure, then today’s generations will discover that modernized Britain is certainly not the Britain they met, but the reconstructed one the Windrush generation helped to construct.

To begin, I personally did not want to come to Britain; I always wanted to go to the USA because all my relatives who travelled went there. I arrived in Dover after 12 days of travel, carrying two conga drums and my grip (Suitcase) filled with goodies, dressed up in my nylon shirt and bespoke suit, knitted socks and tie, that was October 1959. I was young, handsome, fearless and adventurous. ‘The streets are paved with gold’, the story told (smile). All that were cobbled stones; Britain
(London) was foggy, grey, smelly, damp and dull, colours worn were mostly black, white and what wen off – discoloured. Quite the opposite to the tropical gear from whence we came.

Man, in no time we spiced up the place with tropical delight; our presence chased the fog and warmed the icy climate. Best of all, we created this unique art festival the Notting Hill Carnival, bringing together everyone on the narrow street of the Boroughs of Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea to play mas,eat, drink party and and revel: ‘Black, White and Indifferent’ joined in to celebrate cultural togetherness.

England, how about that for multiculturism and racial harmony? Forget about your CRC and CRE, this is We Ting, the spectacle for all races, nothing like Britain’s wishful racial equality.
Can you imagine the way we used to dress up, the walk, talk and jokes, the way we partied, cooked, danced and went to church, they places we worked? Then as the years moved into decades, our contributions faded into the clime of the four seasons, we had to rally to the pace and tempo of Britain’s off-the peg clothing, fall
in line with Britain’s forms of English language, multi-lingualise to the terms like ‘bloke’, ‘ta’ for thanks, ‘tata’ for goodbye, the delicacies of bland old England, the good old Friday night fish and chips. Time to remind you about we susu/partner, our own innovative way we gathered money to buy houses that needed serious repairs, while we struggled with the authorities to educate generations of our children.

When it comes to sports, check it out. We played the game of cricket, shifting
fortunes and glorious uncertainties, English clapping West Indians shouting, cricket
was we game, England versus The West Indies was warfare. Slowly but surely we
began to beat hell out of dem; blows in their clothes, Roberts, then Michael Holden,
Walsh and Curtly Ambrose, fast bowlers with paste, expert batting and fielding, fire
in their wire. Viv, Sobers, Kanhi, Kallicharran, Nurse, Marshall, Captains Worrell and
Lloyd, dem man striking fours, sixes and centuries. Fast, medium and spin bowlers
with speed and grace, like human rockets with rock stones, batsmen blading balls
to the boundary, runs like dry peas. The Oval and Lords brought to life; from English
clapping and feet stamping, to we sideline commentary and banter, reveling to the
music of the calypso, steel band, conch shells and percussion; Jamaican blue beat/
ska and reggae music, eating we curry goat, rice and peas, drinking we ginger beer
and mauby, making we-self happy.
Art in all, we have all-together created things to be proud of, moments and events
to be celebrated for the efforts made and achievements gained. Forget about being
referred to as “illegal immigrants” and ‘low hanging fruits’; those are statements
representative of the deep-seated prejudices, words voiced by those who would
love us to be at the bottom of the Thames, wanting one to believe that we are
subordinates, not recognizing their emptiness and ignorance, walk tall.
Defy them and rise, laugh and surprise them. Chart your aspirations beyond their
heights, aim for the zenith of all possibilities. Stay on route; take with you model examples from the thousands of historical visionaries. Clock the way we developed,
resisting pitfalls and spiked alleyways that lead to nowhere. © Good Vibes Records & Music Ltd. www.goodvibesonline.co.uk
Tel 0207 263 2334 Fax 0792293646

https://youtu.be/cZyQKIqVtws    The Spirt of Windrush Celebrating a Journey Event