I became black in London 2009
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‘I became ‘Black’ in London’ was a quote written in the Postscript in 1998 by Stuart Hall in response to his personal experience of the Windrush, the biggest voluntary immigration of black settlers in Britain after the war from the late 1940s. As a result I felt this quote was a summation of my project about the Windrush generation and their experiences of creating a new life in a foreign land and consequently birthing a community within Britain.
The project came out of a personal quest to define the term ‘Black British’ and discover what this represents. Whilst researching, I found the information available focused on two key periods of history, which often define the black experience, the global trade of slaves and the civil rights movement in the United States from the late 1950s to the beginning of the 1970s. As a result black peoples contribution to the British Isles has been largely overlooked within mainstream history, therefore as a cathartic practice I have felt inspired to highlight this hidden history commencing with the Windrush.
These are subjective accounts of the Windrush era denoting highlights in the UK as British citizens. Aided by anecdotes and family images, which aim to anchor the photographs to this era. The chosen members of this generation express how their lifestyles changed through their new careers, climate and relationships. These accounts are from people who laid the foundation for my current lifestyle. Therefore my aim in this photographic piece is to celebrate an overlooked generation, which changed Britain.
The project came out of a personal quest to define the term ‘Black British’ and discover what this represents. Whilst researching, I found the information available focused on two key periods of history, which often define the black experience, the global trade of slaves and the civil rights movement in the United States from the late 1950s to the beginning of the 1970s. As a result black peoples contribution to the British Isles has been largely overlooked within mainstream history, therefore as a cathartic practice I have felt inspired to highlight this hidden history commencing with the Windrush.
These are subjective accounts of the Windrush era denoting highlights in the UK as British citizens. Aided by anecdotes and family images, which aim to anchor the photographs to this era. The chosen members of this generation express how their lifestyles changed through their new careers, climate and relationships. These accounts are from people who laid the foundation for my current lifestyle. Therefore my aim in this photographic piece is to celebrate an overlooked generation, which changed Britain.