Windrush Day 2022: Kate Middleton and Prince William join families at Waterloo Station to unveil new statue commemorating Windrush
A new statue paying tribute to the Windrush generation has been unveiled at London Waterloo Station this morning. Members of the Windrush generation and their families were joined by Prince William and Kate Middleton and Baroness Floella Benjamin, Chair of The Windrush Commemoration Committee to mark the unveiling of the National Windrush Monument on Windrush Day (22 June).
The statue, which depicts a man, woman and child dressed in their ‘Sunday best’, was designed by renowned Jamaican artist Basil Watson. It symbolises the courage, commitment and resilience of the thousands of men, women and children who travelled to the UK to start new lives from 1948 to 1971 and received £1 million in funding from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
The three figures are climbing a mountain of suitcases together, demonstrating the inseparable bond of the Windrush pioneers and their descendants, and the hopes and aspirations of their generation as they arrive to start new lives in the UK, the Government department said.
READ MORE:‘I didn’t realise Black men were in the British Army until I joined’: Windrush man on life as a soldier in the UK
Mr Watson, who created the Monument said: “It has been an honour to design and create this monument which pays tribute to the Windrush generation migrants as they arrived in Britain with their dreams and aspirations, courage and dignity, skills and talents.
“They arrived with the idea of laying a foundation for their families and their future, and a hope of contributing to a society that they expected would welcome them in return. From this seemingly auspicious beginning despite many challenges, they spread their culture across Britain influencing many aspects of the society.”
He added: “My parents, along with a great many others, took the long arduous voyage from the Caribbean with very little or nothing other than their aspirations, their courage and a promise of opportunity for advancement. This monument tells that story of hope, determination, a strong belief in self and a vision for the future.
“It acknowledges and celebrates the Windrush generation’s outstanding contribution and has been created as a permanent place of reflection, to foster greater understanding of the generation’s talent, hard work and continuing contribution to British society.”
As today (22 June) marks Windrush Day 2022, 35 projects, events and activities are taking place across England.
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