Hackney tea party celebrates the Caribbean on Windrush Day

LONDON:

Over 200 members of Hackney’s Caribbean community were in attendance at a special tea party organised by Hackney Council in east London to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush on Thursday, June 22, National Windrush Day.

The tea party was part of the Council’s Black History season of events which will also include a session with The Guardian’s award-winning journalist, Amelia Gentleman in conversation with Michael Braithwaite and Judy Griffith on life in the UK before and after the Windrush scandal. This is scheduled for Hackney Central Library on Thursday, June 29.

The tea party, which was hosted at the Hackney Town Hall, was held as a thank you to members of the Windrush Generation for their contributions to the borough. The day’s event was compered by Hackney-born BBC Radio London presenter and comedian, Eddie Nestor, MBE, with entertainment by legendary drummer Jah Bunny and his band.

Generations – a series of publications containing the stories of the diverse communities in Hackney commissioned by CEO and Connect Hackney programme director at Hackney CVS, Tony Wong, were freely distributed to attendees.

Notable guests of Jamaican heritage in attendance included: Reggae band, Black Slate; poet, Sonia B who shared her poem reflective of the day – Windrush Day: Here to Stay (2023); Thomas J. Price – artist and creator of the Hackney Windrush Commissioned Warm Shores sculptures outside Hackney Town Hall – the first permanent public sculptures in the UK alongside those created by fellow Hackney and Turner Prize award-winning Montserrat-born artist, Veronica Ryan, OBE; and Hackney’s first black mayor, Jamaica-born Kenrick Hanson.

Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, deputy mayor of Hackney, said: “This year’s Windrush Day was a wonderful event, celebrating 75 years of the Windrush Generation. There were mixed emotions as we heard accounts of the journey many made years ago and the contrast of laughter, as people enjoyed being with one another. Dancing, poetry and artefacts on display were just highlights of the day.”

She added: “We continue to honour and acknowledge the Windrush generation who were invited to build back a country - and then were not welcomed. But they stayed and worked hard to develop our nation, and they must always be recognised and celebrated for that. It is imperative we continue to fight for justice for the Windrush generation, as we also recognise and celebrate them. I am in awe of the grace, dignity and strength they continue to convey.”

Cllr Carole Williams, cabinet member for Windrush, said: “Thursday’s incredible Windrush Day event was a fantastic opportunity for us as a borough to celebrate the incalculable national and local contributions – in all arenas of life and society – that the Windrush generation have made – not only in helping to rebuild Britain after WWII, but helping to shape British society and culture. It was also an opportunity to remember those who are still fighting to receive justice and have their Windrush compensation claim settled. Our mission is to ensure that anyone impacted by the Windrush scandal receives the support they deserve.”

Windrush 75: Amelia Gentleman, Michael Braithwaite and Judy Griffith takes place on Thursday, June 29, the Hackney Central Library, 6:30-8 p.m. with tickets booked FREE through Eventbrite.