The Windrush Scandal in a Transnational and Commonwealth Context
- Event type
- Conference / Symposium
- Address
- IHR Wolfson Conference Suite, NB01/NB02, Basement, IHR, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU
- Event dates
- Contact
- ihr.events@sas.ac.uk Email only
June 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks, bringing with it over 500 passengers from the Caribbean. It will be a time of celebration of the longer history of the presence of people of Afro-Caribbean heritage in the UK. But that anniversary also comes in the wake of the Windrush Scandal, which saw members of that community arrested, detained and in some cases deported, despite having every right to remain in the UK. You are invited to join us as we explore over the course of a day-long conference how the scandal was possible and what its impact is likely to be.
We will also be hosting a free evening event in which we celebrate the contribution of the Windrush Generation: Remembering the Ship in Citizenship: An Evening with John Agard and a Celebration of the 75th Anniversary of Windrush.
The day will be hosted by the research team behind the AHRC-sponsored project, ‘The Windrush Scandal in a Transnational and Commonwealth Context’, based at the Institute of Historical Research. Work on the project began in July 2021. The conference and evening entertainment will also mark the launch of the Windrush Project website and a series of roadshow events designed to open a dialogue about the findings of the research.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Stella Dadzie
- Martin Forde
- Amelia Gentleman
- Gus John
- Arthur Snell
- Anna Steiner
10:30 | Registration
11:00 | Welcome & Introductions
11:15 | Panel One: Taking the long view. How was the Windrush Scandal Possible?
12:30 | Lunch
13:45 | Panel Two: A Long History of Deportation and Anti-Deportation Campaigns.
15:00 | Panel Three: Commonwealth High Commissions, International Diplomacy and UK-Caribbean Relations.
16:15 | Break
16:30 | Panel Four: Looking to the Future - Reparations, Compensation and Justice.
17:30 | Concluding remarks and welcome to evening events.
18:00 | Evening event begins
This event is part of Migration: a public history festival, a series of lectures, exhibitions, workshops and walks around London, supported by the Raphael Samuel History Centre.
This event is free to attend- but booking in advance is required.
Registration for the conference will close on Monday 12 June 2023
Event image: Taken by Eve Hayes De Kalaf at the University of the West Indies.
