Windrush Generation Pioneers: End of an Era
For many of us marking Windrush Day this month, commemorations will be tinged with sadness as we remember yet more of the original Windrush pioneers who we have lost over the last twelve months. Alongside that sadness, however, is a deeper determination to keep their memory and legacy alive. Two of the original pioneers who arrived in England on the HMT Empire Windrush in 1948 – ‘Big John’ Richards and Alford Gardner – passed in the last year.
Like so many of their generation, they endured racism and financial hardship as they built their lives and families here in Britain. And like so many others, they contributed immensely to their local communities and to our country. In addition, we have lost other Windrush pioneers during this time such as actor and singer Nadia Cattouse, who died in November 2024 at the age of 99.
Others include:
Eddie Grizzle, founder of ACOV and board member for numerous charities in Wolverhampton.
Enid Jackson, founder of Cultural Dementia UK in Brent.
Claudette Williams, teacher and activist.
Gerlin Bean, founding member of OWAAD and the Brixton Black Women’s Group.
Lord Herman Ouseley, founder of Kick It Out.
Paul Stephenson, civil rights icon and leader of the Bristol Bus Boycott.
Norman Mitchell, founder of the West Indian Senior Citizen Organisation in Brent, who died aged102.
Neil Flanigan, founding member of the West Indian Ex-Servicemen’s Association, who passed justshort of his 100th birthday.
We also pay special tribute to Nelly Louise Brown, who died in June this year at the age of 111 in Hackney. Born in 1913 in Coleyville, Jamaica, she was one of the longest surviving Windrush pioneers. Deeply respected in Hackney, she played a vital role in the community as a carer, childminder and supporter to many.
Sadly just this month, we mark the loss of Sir Geoff Palmer, who passed away at the age of 85. A trailblazing academic, he was Britain’s first Black professor and a relentless advocate for equality and historical justice. Born in Jamaica in 1940 and arriving in the UK in the 1950s, Sir Geoff overcame adversity to become a distinguished scientist and campaigner, most recently known for leading conversations on Scotland’s colonial legacy. His death represents a profound loss to the nation. A Legacy Woven into the Fabric of Britain.
Sir Geoff Palmer
Another sad loss for our community is the passing of Clovis Constantine Salmon OBE who left us a few days before the upcoming 77th Windrush Day anniversary. Clovis was another trailblazer who was recognised as the UK’s first major Black historical documentary filmmaker. His vision helped shape a more inclusive understanding of British history, and his work will echo for generations.
Clovis Constantine Salmon OBE ESQ
As I reflect on the legacy of the Windrush Generation, I also think of my own family history. My parents – my mum, aged 91, and my dad, now approaching his 94th birthday – came to Britain in the late 1950s. They raised my four sisters and me in the Wolverhampton area in the West Midlands, under the gaze of Enoch Powell, who was our local MP for many years.
They are part of a generation that made remarkable contributions to post-war Britain: to the NHS, transport, engineering, education, arts, sports, and public life. Yet, sadly, most never achieved their full personal or professional aspirations due to systemic barriers.
Nobody taught me about Windrush at school. It was down to our parents and grandparents. They instilled in us the values of self-reliance, respect, community, and faith – the foundations that helped us thrive in a hostile environment. We were taught about pardner savings schemes, transnational family responsibility, and the importance of giving back. Education, Justice and the future.
Knowing one’s history and heritage is essential. We must ensure that Windrush history becomespart of the national curriculum. This is Black history, and it is British history. It helps explain why our society looks as it does today – and why we all have a stake in it.
The 77th anniversary of Windrush offers an opportunity to involve everyone in telling Britain’s modern story – from long-standing community groups to national institutions. Let this be a national celebration of resilience and contribution.
But while Windrush Day is celebratory, it is also a day of reckoning and recognition – not least because of the Windrush scandal that stripped citizens of their rights, despite living in Britain for decades. Though the government committed to addressing the injustice, time is running out for victims who grow older each year. Justice delayed is justice denied.
The Last Chance to Record Living History
We are also racing against time to preserve the lived testimonies of Windrush pioneers and their descendants. We need a central archive to collect and share oral histories – before this vital legacy is lost. There are things that we can do now to preserve this history, we need to hold a minute silence at all Windrush Day events. It’s vital we record Oral Histories of elders, neighbours, and those in care settings. We need to as a community advocate locally and make sure we engage local politicians, councils, schools, museums, heritage bodies, and employers to develop permanent legacies that include plaques, memorials, named spaces, and exhibitions.
Such a resource would illuminate stories of resilience, racism, and remarkable achievements in business, the church, housing, education, and public service. It would remind us that the Windrush Generation helped to shape the Britain we know today – flawed, but full of promise.
Let it also inspire the next generation to continue challenging anti-Blackness and institutional racism, building a Britain that the Windrush Generation would be proud to call part of their legacy by the time we reach Windrush 100.
Professor Patrick Vernon OBE
Convenor, Windrush 100