Dean robed in tribute to Windrush – 70 years on
THE Dean of Westminster wore a “No Irish, No blacks, No dogs” robe during a service to mark the 70th anniversary of Windrush.
The ceremonial vestment, known as a “cope”, was decorated with photographs illustrating aspects of black history in Britain since the arrival of the MV Empire Windrush on June 22, 1948.
These included a 1948 “British citizen” passport issued to Alford Gardner, a passenger on the ship, and an image of Sam King, another of the ship’s passengers, who later became the first black Mayor of Southwark.
It also refers to the murder of Stephen Lawrence and to racial discrimination faced by Caribbean migrants in post-war Britain, including the sign “No Irish, No blacks, No dogs”, once displayed in the windows of some boarding houses with rooms for rent.
The cope was created by Terry Duffy, an award-winning artist, who initially made it as a painting before it was digitally mixed with a photo montage and transferred on to the fabric.
The service held yesterday at Westminster Abbey was attended by Mr Gardner, as well as London Mayor Sadiq Khan, Prime Minister Theresa May, and shadow home secretary Diane Abbott.
The Dean, the Very Rev Dr John Hall, said: “For me, it is a great privilege to wear the ‘Windrush cope’ and to be reminded of the suffering and the achievement of so many who are now a vital part of our national story.”
Mrs May apologised in April after the Home Office became embroiled in a controversy after it emerged members of the “Windrush generation” had been told to leave as it said they could not prove their right to be in the UK.
‘It is a great privilege to wear the cope and be reminded of the suffering and the achievement of so many who are now a part of our national story’