On Monday, July 4th, Sonita Gale was invited by Dawn Butler, MP for Brent Central, to mark the event launch of the 75th anniversary of the arrival of the Empire Windrush to UK shores.
The event was hosted by Dawn Butler, Patrick Vernon and NuDawn London, during an evening that brought together MPs, Councillors, organisations and lawyers who have been campaigning against the injustices that arose around the treatment of the Windrush generation. The audience were treated to a special poetry reading by Nairobi Cambell to commemorate the event, and a performance of the track ‘Mama Used to Say’ by Junior Giscombe.
Other attendees in the audience included MPs Dianne Abbott, Bell Ribeiro Addy, Comedian Quincy and the explorer and marine scientist David Mearns.
David will be overseeing the project of bringing back and restoring the anchor of the Empire Windrush from its Mediterranean wreck site. The project has been described as a touchstone for people to connect with that moment in time. A part of this event was to raise awareness about fundraising for this project.
It was a fitting tribute to the people who arrived in the UK three-quarters of a century ago, who have contributed so much to our community. There was a strong commitment to make next year’s celebration a notable one, as well as to continue the fight for fair and just compensation for those affected by the Windrush Scandal.
We can’t wait to see the results.