The Edinburgh grandson of one of the first Windrush passengers has said that the legacy of the voyage is as important as ever on the 75th anniversary of the ship’s arrival.
Luke Samuels, 38, Edinburgh, shared his grandad, Edwin Luther Samuels, story and how he was met with racism the minute he arrived in England. Edwin was only 26 when he made the first ever Windrush journey across the Atlantic.
But he faced difficulties in finding a home and starting his family in Wolverhampton. Luke says that his grandad was reserved in recounting how difficult it was to settle in the UK after making the 22 day voyage from Watt Town, Jamaica, but that the legacy of his ordeals has shaped the man that he has become.
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The Windrush scandal has had a profound effect on Luke, leaving him feeling ‘sick to his stomach’ at the way people like his grandfather, who passed away in 2004, were treated. The residential care officer says it is important that the country remembers those that made the first Windrush journey in 1948, and those who came after them, as they shaped modern Britain into the country it is today.
“The funny thing about my grandad’s generation is that they never really went into great detail about the things they experienced. We were extremely close but even my dad only knew little bits,” Luke said.
“On his boarding card it states that he was a labourer but our family back in Watt Town are farmers and still own rural land in the hills there. Like many of those travelling on the Windrush, he came here for a better life and job opportunities.
“It was 28£ and 10 shillings for a ticket which is around 600£ in today’s money. That was a lot of money back then and I don’t know how he got it.
“But he arrived on June 21 1948 in search of a better life. He had a child back in Jamaica - my dad’s half sister - who I imagine he planned to send money back to. The passengers from the Caribbean faced racism straight after they arrived here.
“It took them 22 days to get from Jamaica to Tilbury Docks and when they arrived they were not allowed to get off the boat as parliament had declared an emergency meeting for them to debate whether or not the passengers on board meant trouble. I remember reading that some politicians said that people like my grandad would not last the winter.
“When he got off the ship on June 22, now Windrush Day, he made his way to Causeway Green in Birmingham where he stayed in a hostel. Shortly after he arrived there was a disturbance stoked by racism between the Jamaicans and Polish communities in the area.
“From Birmingham he moved to Wolverhampton where he worked his whole life in the transport industry. He was a bus conductor when he met my nan, Sylvia, and they were married by 1951.
“My nan was white, and was born in Wolverhampton, their relationship was not well received at the time. To be honest it came from both sides but mostly my nan was asked why she was marrying a black man.
“But despite this they had 12 kids together with my nan raising them all. My dad, John, would tell me that you would have kids sleeping everywhere, babies in drawers and the younger children sharing beds.
“It is amazing to think he managed to support them all. My dad told a story of my grandad winning the pools and buying all of the children tailored suits and nice dresses.
“In Jamaican culture we like wearing sharp outfits with nice hats. He managed to pay off his house and he worked really hard, he was never at home as he tried to provide for them all.”
“He still remembered his roots and used to have a bit of rum in his tea.”
Luke says that the Windrush generation had to endure a challenging environment that was riddled with racism when they arrived in the UK. This was despite them being invited to the country to help to rebuild Britain after the horrors of World War Two.
He says that at the time, many Jamaicans believed themselves to be a part of Britain, as they had not yet gained their independence, something that would not come until 1962. When they arrived they would often find it hard to find places to live and work, with many businesses displaying ‘no blacks, no Irish, no dogs’ signs at their establishments.
The legacy of racism was something that was passed down the generations to their children and grandchildren. Luke says that when his father met his Edinburgh born mother, they too faced judgement.
“My dad said that he did get some grief when he was out with my nan and that people would always make comments at school. It was a really challenging environment,” he said.
“He had white friends but they would often hold racist views towards other black people they did not know. That was what it was like back then.
“He faced a lot of discrimination and that continued when he met my mum, Gloria. Her family was not accepting of him because he was black.
“My mum grew up in the Grassmarket but lived all across the capital before she moved to Wolverhampton as her dad had got a job in the transport industry there.
“It is where she met my dad, he was 17 and she was 19. They had their first child a year later - now there are my three sisters along with myself.
“They moved to Scotland in the late 80s and my mum had said that she used to get a bit of grief when out with my sister. We do not have the darkest complexion but you can tell that we are mixed race.
“It is funny because it was not just white people who would make comments but also black. It shows that racism is everywhere.”
Luke says that his grandad’s past has shaped him into the man that he is today. His family’s legacy of fighting racism has given him the confidence to fight for equal opportunities for all, regardless of ‘race, gender or sexual orientation.’
“I think I pushed the cause due to my own experience within my family,” he added.
“Being mixed race gives me a unique experience and identity. Windrush has definitely had a massive impact on me personally as it has shaped me through my grandad.
“It has given me a bit more of a drive and understanding of where I have come from. There are definitely still barriers to overcome today with regards to how the Windrush generation and their families have been treated.
“Jamaica was colonised by the British and then they were asked to come over to help rebuild Britain but they were treated horrendously. What has happened has not been fair.
“It feels as though the British Empire just used them. With that being said though, I think those that came from the Caribbean have shaped British culture in so many ways, from the music to the food and general culture.
“Those who came over on the Windrush worked in key services like the NHS as well as in steel, coal and iron helping to bring the country back onto its feet. They created modern Britain as a multicultural society.
“This is why it is important for myself and my kids to learn about our history so that we can continue to document it for the generation to come. The Windrush scandal was horrific - it still makes me feel sick.
“People who had not been to Jamaica since they were children, who paid into and worked for the state, were being sent back to the Caribbean. The Home Office made leaflets telling them how to be Jamaican in Jamaica - how could they treat humans like this?
“I still can’t believe it. I’m just glad my grandad was not alive to see it.”
Luke received his own Jamaican passport at the age of 26 and has made sure that his children, Luchia ,18, Malachi, 12 and Ezekiel 11, all have their own passports too. He is a member of the Jamaican national curling team who have their sights set on the next Winter Olympics.
Luke has dedicated a large part of his life fighting for racial justice within Scotland.
