Windrush Month 2025

Every June, the UK commemorates Windrush Day, honouring Caribbean pioneers' contributions to post-war Britain.

This year, we're extending the celebration to Windrush Month, focusing on the theme 'Legacies of Change: From Windrush to Justice to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1965 Race Relations Act.

Throughout the month, we'll be highlighting key individuals and events that shaped the movement toward racial equality in Britain including civil rights activists Claudia Jones and Paul Stephenson. We'll also revisit pivotal moments such as the tragic death of Kelso Cochrane and the Bristol Bus Boycott, the latter of which was central to the passing of Britain's first legislation to tackle racial discrimination - the 1965 Race Relations Act.

Black British History Timeline

UK Black Civil Rights Timeline (1940 to 1970)

This timeline highlights the struggle for racial justice and equality in the UK, tracing the activism, legislation, and cultural shifts driven by the Windrush generation and other communities that shaped Black British identity and laid the foundations for today’s multicultural Britain.

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April 1963 - The Bristol Bus Boycott

Taking inspiration from Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott in the US the WIDC organised their own bus boycott. They organised a local press conference and announced their boycott of the Bristol buses on 29th April 1963...

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Features

Why do we celebrate Windrush Day in the UK?

Windrush Day, observed on June 22 each year, commemorates the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks in 1948, which marked the start of large-scale Caribbean migration to the UK. It celebrates the resilience, contributions, and cultural impact of Caribbean immigrants who came to aid Britain’s post-war recovery...

Kelso Cochrane’s Death and the Racial Fault Lines of 1950s Britain

Kelso Cochrane’s 1959 murder in Notting Hill exposed the deep racial divides in post-war Britain. Though officially labelled a robbery, the failure to solve the case heightened distrust between Black communities and the police, revealing a society unwilling to confront its own racial tensions

News and Opinions

News: Reverend Clive Foster Appointed First Windrush Commissioner to Deliver Justice and Reform

Reverend Clive Foster MBE has been appointed as the UK’s first Windrush Commissioner, a major step in the government’s commitment to right the wrongs of the Windrush scandal and ensure victims' voices are heard at every stage of reform.

Opinion: Revisiting Britain's most racist election - Battle for Smethwich in the 1964 election

In this blog post, we revisit the 1964 General Election, when a bitter campaign in a small West Midlands town became a defining moment in modern British race relations. The Smethwick election of that year is still remembered as one of the most openly racist political contests in British history.