SEASON 1
WINDRUSH STORIES
Professor Benjamin Zephaniah
The son of a Jamaican nurse and a Bajan postal
worker, Professor Benjamin Zephaniah was born
and raised in the Handsworth area of Birmingham, England. He works in many creative fields,
including as an equal opportunities poet, novelist,
lecturer, activist, musician, tv and radio presenter.
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Blacker Dread
Blacker Dread - cornerstone of Brixton's local community. Member of legendary Coxsone soundsystem, music producer, record shop owner,
co-founder of Splash; this interview was recorded following Blacker’s release from prison where he hosted National Prison Radio’s weekly Reggae
show, Bob & Beyond.
Brendon Batson OBE
Born in St George's, Grenada in 1953, moved to Tilbury, Essex aged 9. Former Arsenal, Cambridge United and West Bromwich Albion footballer, he was 1/3 of pioneering trio nicknamed The Three Degrees alongside Cyrille Regis and Laurie Cunningham. Brendon Batson has worked closely with various organisations to fight racism in football.
Cecil Wright
A former fast-bowling cricketer born in St Elizabeth, who played for the Jamaican national team, also Crompton in Central Lancashire after moving to the UK in 1959. Cecil Wright retired in 2019 aged 85, following 60 years of playing. This interview was recorded by his daughter, Cecile.
wisden.com/stories/your-game/club-cricket/cecil-wright-jamaica
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Rt. Hon. Diane Abbott MP
Diane Abbott was born in London to Jamaican parents. In 1987, history was made when Ms Abbott became the first Black woman to be elected to parliament in Britain. She served as Shadow Home Secretary 2016-2020 and is the longest-serving Black MP in the history of the House of Commons.
Sister Ina Spence
Born in Trelawny, Jamaica, Sister Spence moved to Manchester, England in her late teens to join the NHS, where she worked as nurse and senior midwife for over 40 years, delivering hundreds of babies. Recorded by Rachel Ross, one of the mothers Sister Spence took care of during her career.
Jamz Supernova
Jamz is a Jamaican-Cuban-Irish heritage DJ, broadcaster and tv presenter from London, known for her popular BBC 1Xtra, 6 Music and British Council radio shows, Future Bounce record label and club nights, and passion for supporting alternative Black music styles.
Lloyd Bradley
Born in London to St Kittitian academic parents, Lloyd Bradley is one of the UK’s foremost experts on Black music and culture. Author of Bass Culture: When Reggae Was King, Sounds Like London: 100 Years of Black Music in the Capital, Ian Wright: A Life in Football, Marcia Barrett’s Forward, and more.
Marjorie H Morgan
Marjorie H. Morgan was born in Wiltshire, England, to Jamaican parents. She is a writer, playwright, and journalist with a special interest in cultural and social politics, and is currently based in Liverpool, where she was Artist in Residence at Metal Culture Liverpool, 2019–2020.
Matthew Phillip
Trinidadian-Irish heritage executive director of Notting Hill Carnival and CEO of Carnival Village Trust from London, England. Matthew Phillip has had a life-long involvement in Carnival, from attending as a child, to playing pan in Steel Bands, and working on various NHC boards and projects.
Nadine White
Nadine White is a 2nd-generation Windrush descendant from Brixton, South London, who works as a journalist and news reporter. Previously published via HuffPost and The Voice Newspaper, in 2021 Nadine became the first dedicated race correspondent in UK journalism for The Independent.
Dr Vanley Burke
Born near St Thomas, Jamaica in 1951, Vanley Burke joined his parents in Birmingham, UK aged 14 and began documenting local Caribbean communities. The 'Godfather of Black British photography' is also an archivist, with a vast collection housed at the Library of Birmingham and his own flat.
Mr Wright
Mr Wright was born in St Catherine, Jamaica to presenter DJ Flight's grandmother, Muriel Martin, who left for the UK in the late ‘50s to work as an NHS nurse. Brought up by his grandmother, Mr Wright joined Muriel aged 14, worked various jobs, played for Brixton's Railton cricket team, has 4 wonderful children and 1 grandchild.
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