A Thank You to the Windrush Stories and Storytellers | In the Silence
Coming to England by Floella Benjamin
I should start by saying this muse is less on what the book is about and more on what the book is. To be clear, I certainly enjoyed the book and the story of the Windrush Generation is beyond moving, but for this musing, it feels more fitting for me to talk about why I picked the book up in the first place and why I’m so grateful for it.
When I knew I would be moving to London for graduate school, I was excited about a lot of things, but one of the most important and meaningful things for me was to learn more about and be connected to the British-Caribbean community. I knew generally that there was a significant Caribbean population in London and saw some of it on my visits. The word “Windrush” was familiar but I couldn’t really breakdown what it truly meant. I also knew that my mother’s country, Belize, used to be called British Honduras and once colonized by the British meaning there inherently were some connections between the two that I hoped to learn more about. Since being in London, I have been learning so much through books, arts, exhibits, festivals, food, and more about the British-Caribbean community and particularly the Windrush Generation. It has been enlightening, upsetting, and moving at the same time. I won’t be going into the specifics of the event here, but I highly recommend learning about it.
When I visited the British Library for the first time, I went browsing around their shop and although not the most ideal place to buy this book (as I look to support indie bookstores that represent me), when I saw it, I had to pick it up. A book about the Windrush Generation for young readers. It might seem odd for an me, a supposed adult, to pick up a young readers’ version of a book, but outside of seeking to be a young adult librarian, I also find it amazing to see complex stories adapted for younger readers. Also, when I’m first learning about a topic, I really love to learn about it as a story and rarely are stories told better than those that are told for kids. In other words, explain it to me like I’m five (also, I LOL’ed again watching this scene for this musing). This also comes from a key guiding approach I have in the youth and facilitation work I’ve done which is that no matter who I’m talking to or what I’m talking about, I should always be able to explain it in the most simplest and accessible way for any kind of learner — and myself (see Einstein). That is a true skill that I am always learning to refine and even putting to the test in my current academic life. That said, I really appreciate books that do this and so I thought there’s no better way to start learning about the Windrush Generation than with Floella Benjamin’s Coming to England book.
And learn I did. It was a special experience to read something that felt both familiar and new. I can never understand the fullness of what it meant for the Windrush Generation to move from their home countries to a new country with hope for a better life and being met with numerous and ongoing challenges, but I am so deeply grateful for it. So this musing is also a thank you. Thank you to the Windrush Generation for making this journey and everything that came with it. Thank you to those that have still been facing challenges against their right to be here and be welcomed here. Thank you to those that hold the stories — heard and unheard — of themselves and others of the Windrush Generation. Thank you to those that seek to tell these stories to learners and listeners of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. Thank you to the Windrush Generation who created lives, families, communities, and cultural hubs here in the UK — not only for themselves but for their children and the ones, like me, who would one day visit (or move) in hopes of feeling at home here too.
Thank you. ❤
|Renée|
more quotes:
I found joy and pleasure in the simplest things. It took very little to make me happy because Marmie had taught us all how to be contented with what we had, how to make our lot seem the best in the world. I had learned from an early age how to have pride in myself and my country. During this period of my life everything seemed perfect.
I loved the sun because the heat warmed my inner soul and gave me a free, happy, relaxed feeling. I also got a good feeling when it rained — and when it rained, it really rained. The heavens would open and torrents of rain would lash down. We would dance and splash in the warm, tropical scented water. It didn’t matter if we got wet because, after the downpour, the water would evaporate in no time, drying our clothes in an instant.
I could never be sure what the weather would be like and I began to understand why the English always talked about the weather. There was so much of it.
My family was a source of strength, not just physical strength but spiritual strength.
Marmie had instilled strength, determination, conviction, and confidence in us. Now it was up to me to merge them together and absorb them into my soul. These were to be the ground rules on which my new life was to be built. I had to make something out of it without losing my true identity. A massive task, but not an impossible one.
To read more of my book-based musings, visit In The Silence.
#inthesilencebks
