7 WINDRUSH EDUCATION RESOURCES

These Windrush Education Resources are based on original stories of ex-RAF WWII serviceman Samuel Beaver King, better known as Sam King (1926-2016). He came up with the idea of commemorating the arrival of MV Empire Windrush, and worked with The Sunday Times magazine which published a special edition in June 1968 commemorating the 20th Windrush anniversary.

Also, Sam was the one who created the term Windrush Generation, referring only to the passengers who arrived on the ship at Tilbury Docks on June 22, 1948. They are members of his generation who travelled with him on the Empire Windrush . Their arrival became an iconic symbol of post-war West Indian settlement in Britain. After June 1948, dozens of other ships brought hundreds of thousands of West Indian settlers to the UK. Most of them had travelled in the 1960s and 1970s via British Overseas Airways Corporation (now British Airways). On August 8, 1974, Sam and two other Windrush passengers, Vidal Dezonie and Euton Christian appeared on BBC2 TV’s The Ship of Good Hope, which discussed the June 1948 arrival at Tilbury Docks.

During June 1988, Sam organised the 40th anniversary of Windrush Day in Brixton, hosted by the Mayor of Lambeth. June 1998 saw the publication of his autobiography, Climbing up the Rough Side of the Mountain, which became a best-seller. Also, he and Arthur Torrington organised the 50th Windrush anniversary events. The 60th Windrush Day commemoration saw the publication of a Windrush Pioneers video and booklet in which we heard the voices and experiences of 20 West Indians who were in Britain during the late 1940s and 1950s.

In 2018, during the 70th anniversary, the Tory Government hijacked Sam’s Windrush idea and changed how Windrush should be commemorated. Also, it came up with a contrasting definition of Windrush Generation: people who arrived from the Caribbean between 1948 and 1971. Sam’s role as founder of Windrush Day was ignored.

These Windrush Education Resources contain the facts about Windrush, and the Windrush Generation, including original stories that will assist pupils’ knowledge, and foster a better sense of identity and belonging. The materials feature Sam King’s seminal work, showing how he and Windrush Foundation have helped to change British society.

The resources are suitable for pupils from age 5 to 18 and can be downloaded free from: