William: Racism still all-too familiar in UK
Hard-hitting warning as he unveils tribute to Windrush generation
Prince William yesterday said the Windrush generation had been ‘profoundly wronged’.
in one of his most outspoken references to government policy, he also said that racism remained an ‘all too familiar experience’ for black people and that equality had ‘yet to come to pass’ in Britain.
And he even referred to his and Kate’s tour to the caribbean, which was beset by criticism that aspects of it looked ‘colonial’. He admitted it was a chance for the couple to reflect.
The second in line to the throne was speaking at the unveiling in Waterloo Station of the first national memorial to the Windrush pioneers.
The term refers to the empire Windrush, which docked in Tilbury in June 1948, bringing workers from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and other islands, to help fill post-war labour shortages. Many arrivals became manual workers, nurses, cleaners and carers and remained in this country, starting their own families and building communities.
But in 2018 it emerged that changes in the immigration system had left many caribbean arrivals deemed ‘illegal immigrants’. even elderly residents, who had lived in the UK for decades, were denied access to healthcare, benefits and pensions. Some lost their jobs or were threatened with deportation.
The Home Office kept no record of those granted leave to remain and issued no paperwork, making it difficult for Windrush arrivals to prove their legal status. eventually Theresa
‘Diversity is what makes us strong’
May’s government apologised for the deportation threats. A report into the scandal found it was ‘foreseeable and avoidable’.
William was accompanied by his wife Kate for the visit to Waterloo in south London. They talked to Windrush pioneers as well as to politicians, artists and school pupils.
Kate shook hands and joked with John richards, 96, who arrived from Jamaica at the age of 22 and passed through Waterloo, before going on to a career with Britain rail. He tipped his hat to the duchess, who was wearing a white McQueen trouser suit. TV presenter Dame Floella Benjamin, whose father was a Windrush pioneer, also attended the event.
The memorial, created by Jamaican-born sculptor Basil Watson, is a 12ft statue of a man, woman and child in their Sunday best standing on top of suitcases at the station.
earlier in the day, Kate stepped behind the lens for a change and practised using a camera as she and William met young British-caribbean creatives taking part in elevate, a programme at the Brixton House theatre to help under-30s break into the creative industries.
Visual artist Davinia clarke, 22, who helped the duchess operate a camera using a shoulder rig, said she had joked ‘ you need a lot of upper body strength’ to manoeuvre the equipment.
in his speech William highlighted his tour in March to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas with his wife, saying: ‘Our trip was an opportunity to reflect, and we learnt so much.
‘not just about the different issues that matter most to the people of the region, but also how the past weighs heavily on the present. That is also the case for members of the Windrush generation who were victims of racism when they arrived and discrimination remains an all too familiar experience for black men and women in Britain in 2022. Only a matter of years ago, tens of thousands of that generation were profoundly wronged by the Windrush scandal. Diversity is what makes us strong, and it is what reflects the modern, outward-looking values that are so important to our country.’
The Queen gave Windrush Day, which was introduced in 2018, her stamp of approval, saying: ‘The unveiling at Waterloo station on Windrush Day serves as a fitting thank you to the Windrush pioneers and their descendants.’
William’s brother Harry and wife Meghan last year accused the royal Family of racism, a claim known to have hurt William.