FROM EMANCIPATION TO WINDRUSH

The Exhibition includes texts and images about life in the West Indies  from Emancipation in the 1830s when nearly a million Africans in British colonies won their liberty, having been enslaved for all or most of their lives. After August 1, 1834, African women re-created the family unit which had been severely undermined by enslavers during the previous 200 years. The Exhibition summarises major events that led to Emancipation and includes stories of colonial life, the contributions of West Indians to Britain’s prosperity, their service in the military, the arrival of hundreds of them on June 22, 1948, at Tilbury Docks, Essex, on the Empire Windrush.

he Exhibition also seeks to raise awareness about those who contributed to ending enforced servitude. The road to freedom was arduous and bloody; tens of thousands of Africans were killed in their efforts to liberate themselves. Emancipation was the beginning of a long and laborious journey towards the realisation of the right to self-determination. For this reason, the Exhibition concludes with a selection of post-emancipation stories celebrating acts of courage and resilience which have laid the foundation for the freedom many of us enjoy today.

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