Windrush monument honours 'unbreakable spirit'
City of Wolverhampton CouncilA monument to honour the Windrush generation who "reshaped Wolverhampton with their hands, their hope and their unbreakable spirit" will be unveiled in the city later this month.
Created by artist Luke Perry, it depicts the bow of the Windrush ship, an anchor, and rising chains along with a poem - A Monument is a Testament - by Casey Bailey which is cut into the steel.
HMT Empire Windrush, which docked in Tilbury, Essex, in 1948, was the first ship to arrive in England bringing hundreds of passengers from the Caribbean under plans to address the nation's post-War labour shortage.
The monument will be unveiled in St Patrick's Park, Broad Street Basin, on 22 June - Windrush Day.
A community-led ceremony, which is open to the public, will mark the occasion from 17:30 BST.
The monument also features painted imagery by artist Victoria Murrain which tell family stories of the Windrush generation.
Speaking on behalf of Wolverhampton's Windrush Committee, Bishop Ruben King of Churches 4 Positive Change said everyone involved in the project was "extremely proud to have helped shape this important endeavour".
"This monument honours those who were invited to cross oceans, came and reshaped Wolverhampton with their hands, their hope and their unbreakable spirit.
"It will stand as a reminder for future generations to pause, ask and remember the courage, strength and sacrifice that laid our deeply woven foundations, and will inspire the carrying forward of the living Windrush legacy."
Organisations involved in the project include Black Heritage Walks Network CIC, Black History and Heritage Wolverhampton, Churches 4 Positive Change, SIAN Computers, as well as the city council and Wolverhampton Wanderers FC.
The Mayor of Wolverhampton, councillor Paul Singh, said: "Wolverhampton has played a significant role in the story of the Windrush generation, and this monument is a powerful and lasting recognition of that legacy."
The unveiling will be part of other events being held in the city to mark the occasion including storytelling and educational activity after a successful bid to the Windrush Day Grant Scheme for £23,000.
At last year's event, a bronze bust of Mel Chevannes, the first African-Caribbean councillor to be elected in the city in 1981, was unveiled at the city's art gallery.
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