The Windthrush Years (1948-1998)

What I Have Learnt:

Part 1

• Half a million black people come to England from the West indies.
• When they come over the brought music, they brought colour, they brought dope and they brought life.
• The story starts 50 years ago with the historic voyage of 500 west Indians of the empire Windrush.
• June 21st 1948 Windrush arrived in Essex.
• The West Indians joined World War 2 and Hitler described black people as Jews and black people thought well if that's what he wants to think of us then were going to join this war and fight back.

Part 2

• 'West Indians not only lived together but they died together'
• West Indians became especially popular as musicians and entertainers.
• Once the war had finished people began to say that they the west Indians should go home now and some went home but some stayed.
• Economic conditons in the carribean were harsh and a hurricane in the 1940's ruined all of the crops making the economic struggle that little bit more difficult.

Part 3

• When they arrive off the boat they didn't know what was going to happen or where they were going to go.
• After half a million cacualties due to the war, Britain was short of labour workers and this is where black people stepped in and were sent to different parts of Britain in order to do jobs to help out Britain during the War.
• The men settle into the work quickly but the people of
• Britain were amused by them.

Part 4

• England was a completely different country to what they had read about.
• Some people thought Britain was grey and dismall and some people thought there were diamond pathments .
• The Music tastes of the immigrants wernt of the British liking.
• Black popuation is here to stay.
• New arrivals felt a growing sense of isolation.
• Black people felt like they were becoming intruders within the country and black people didnt have white friends who they could turn to.

Part 5

• Romance with white and black people started to happen within Britain. 
• A white woman left her home as her parents did not agree with their daughter dating a black man.
• Over 20 thousand West Indians came to England each year.
• Black people were squashed into small houses that were unsafe that white people wouldn't stay in.
• Black people tried to buy their own homes but either couldn't afford it or were not allowed.

Part 6

• West Indians were getting money through prostitution  and they were using this money to buy houses.
• Black people became so worried that they would carry weapons to keep safe.
• White people began to get violent towards black people as time went on.
• White women with black men were called "Nigga Lovers". People also described those years as an "Unforgiving time".

Part 7

• Riots between black and white people started to occur and the police struggled to break it up.
• Men from all over Britain were coming to Nottinghill to riot.
• Mosely stated "Dont let our country be taken over".
• The police were biased and took sides with the British even though the black were getting attacked. However the Black people fought back!
• 1st September was an important date as it was the last riot.
• 9 white youths were arrested for there part in the riots and were sentence to jail for up to 4 years.
• In may 1959 a West Indian man named Kelsa Cochrane was stabbed to death by 3 teddy boys however no one was arrested for his murder.
• Finally after the years had gone by white people started to realise the violence had to stop and they payed there respects to Cochrane at his funeral.

Part 8

• White people started to blame Mosely who they once admired for the downfall of the white and black relationship.
• In 1959 the general election is when everyone turned their backs on Mosely. He only got 2000 votes and retired from politics.
• The Blues Party took over where you can go to feel safe and cool.
• New music in the 60s was created and was called SKA
• Jamaican music began to seep through and took over the friday night club scenes.

Part 9

• Mixing between races was confined to the dance floor.
• It soon became fashionable to be seen with black people out of the streets. 
• The good sex was what also attracted white women to black men.
• Educated middle class white people would want to be seen with black people. 
• Black men also became a fascination to rich white wives.
• Christine Keeler was a call girl who had a string on West Indian lovers
• Black families were trying to live the British way of life.

Part 10

• Labour promised Britains first race legislation if they were elected to power.
• The Labour party won power in 1964, but it took Howard Wilson a year and a half before the first race legislation act was introduced.
• We now meet Malcom X.