On the 22nd of July Race Council Cymru along with Windrush Cymru Elders and other partners celebrated National Windrush Day 2020. The ceremony was hosted by Uzo Iwobi OBE and was live-streamed on all our social media platforms. The ceremony began by a brief introduction of the speakers and partners by Uzo Iwobi OBE.
Judge Ray Singh CBE, Chair of Race Council Cymru, welcomed everyone and introduced the ceremony to all the attendees, stating that:
“Today we look back, and whilst acknowledging the huge contributions made by the Windrush Generation, we pause to think many of them be evicted from their homes, deported from their local country and drop them back homeless, in many cases penniless, in different countries that had very little connection left.”
In the ceremony there were voices of many well-known politicians such as Deputy Minister and Chief Whip, Jane Hutt MS and Professor Mark Drakeford, Honorary First Minister of Wales.
Professor Mark Drakeford expressed his support and address that diversity in Wales is our strength that should be embraced and cherished, and that discrimination and inequality still exists in Wales.
“And for us here in Wales it is exactly what it is, our diversity is a mark of our strength, our diversity is a cause of celebration to us and we need to make sure that we go on marking Windrush events in exactly that way, but very importantly as well for us in Wales an anniversary of this sort is not simply a matter of looking back it is a matter of using that experience to learn from it for the future. And by much has been achieved, much has been achieved by those communities and more generally through those communities we know just how much more we have to do. And very recent events in the United States, the solidarity events we’ve seen here, in Wales, remind us that the scar inequality and discrimination still makes its impact far too often. “
Roma Taylor, the founder of Windrush Cymru Elders, gave a motivational speech in which she addressed that despite her challenging journey and negativity encountered along the way she was able to plant the seed with Windrush Cymru Elders.
Vernesta Cyril OBE, who is Black History Patron and Windrush Cymru Elders member, expressed her gratitude for being acknowledged but also stating that there is a long journey ahead of us to reach the equality and justice for those unfairly treated by the government:
“It’s good to be acknowledged as people who were invited to work in the UK and helped to make it what it is today. We must not forget the others who are not fully participating in celebration as are still awaiting the compensation from the government for the inhuman and degrading treatment that was meted up to them. Let us hope that at next Windrush everyone will participate. BME history must be a part of learning, and we must not give up the fight in pressurising the education establishment in making this mandatory.”
To view the whole celebration please refer to the video below where you have the chance to listen to everyone’s stories and experiences.
During the celebration, Race Council Cymru and other partners also paid tribute to many Windrush members who passed away this year including Baldwin Salmon, Alvin Valentine Black, Delroy Anthony Radway, Angela Barnes, Donna Campbell, Zena Lindsay, Brian Mfula and Peter Walker.
