As part of Black History Month the University of Wolverhampton presents an online discussion about the Windrush Generation Experiences Online display currently on show at the Wolverhampton Art Gallery until 20th December.

Twenty years ago 107 people who came from the Caribbean and South Asia to live in Wolverhampton recorded their experiences in over 80 hours of video and audio interviews. The recordings give an insight into where the settlers came from, their beliefs and backgrounds, where they lived, the work they did and the difficulties they faced.

This important historical collection is now being put on YouTube for everyone to experience.

Delva Campbell whilst working for Wolverhampton City Council, organised a successful event to mark the 50th anniversary of the arrival of HMV Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks, bringing one of the first post-war groups of West Indian migrants to the UK.

Dr Richard Hawkins, reader in history at the University of Wolverhampton is chair of BE-ME (Black and Ethnic Minority Experience), the organisation that recorded the interviews in 1999.

Dr Patrick Vernon OBE first called for a day, now known as Windrush Day, to recognise the contribution of the Windrush Generation to British society, and led the campaign at the height of the ‘Windrush scandal’ concerning people who were detained, denied legal rights, threatening with deportation and in 83 cases wrongly deported from the UK by the Home Office.

Frank Challenger set up and ran Light House media centre from 1986 to 2012 and was involved with BE-ME from the start. He is now managing the project to put the interviews online.

Windrush Generation Experiences Online

Windrush Generation Experiences Online - Wolverhampton Art gallery