Swap Riots for Respect!

By Elizabeth Henstridge

 

After World War II Britain had lost over 380,000 men. This supposed victory left Britain desperately needing to rebuild its infrastructure. But without the workers, who could do it? Britain needed help. This help came largely from the Caribbean. Britain invited skilled and unskilled workers to the ‘mother country,’ offering cheap travel and promising employment.

 

In 1948 a breakthrough act was passed (the ‘Nationality Act’) which meant people from the Caribbean could become UK citizens. On 22nd of June 1948 a ship named ‘Windrush’ docked in Tilbury, UK. This ship marked the start of multi-culturalism in Britain. Windrush Empire SS was a huge ship that brought eager Caribbean men ready for the adventure of a new country and culture.

 

After the long journey the first travelers were mostly greeted with a warm welcome. The Daily Express rolled with the headline “450 arrive- Get peptalk: Things will not be easy,” followed by a sympathetic article. Expectations were high, after all, these voyagers were accepting an invitation to help Britain. Surely they would be appreciated and respected?

 

The Caribbean migrants dispersed into industrial areas such as Walsall and Wolverhampton, working in factories. The Black Country is famous for its industry, such as glass making, canal networks, steel and iron-making. By working in the industrial sector, the Caribbean community contributed immeasurably to the prosperity and reputation of the area.

 

As Windrush Empire docked year on year in Britain, the numbers of Caribbean workers entering Britain increased. In 1948 around 500 African-Caribbean migrants docked. The years between 1951 and 1953 saw between 1,750 and 2,200 Caribbean migrants. By 1955 people traveling from the Caribbean reached 27,550. This meant that by 1956, over 40,000 Caribbeans had answered Britain’s call for help.

 

Unlike more recent migrants such as those from Eastern Europe, the Caribbeans were more visible, making them easy targets for racism. Tensions between racial groups were rising with the growing number of immigrants. The country that was desperate for help was now starting to bite the hands that fed it.

 

The hostility that some of the Caribbean immigrants were faced with on arrival was about to get a whole lot worse. Tensions were reaching breaking point, with factors such as the TGWU (Transport and General Workers Union) of Wolverhampton stating in 1962, that no more than 52 out of 900 bus workers should be black. This severely added to the hostility.

 

The political situation also fuelled the fire. In 1978 Margaret Thatcher suggested that if immigration was not controlled, Britain would be “swamped by four million of them.” In addition to this, a prominent politician of the time, Enoch Powell (The MP for Wolverhampton South West) campaigned for a Conservative policy that would urgently encourage immigrants to go back ‘home.’

 

With such factors creating rising tension between Caribbean communities and the police, it was inevitable that an explosion was to follow. The spark that lit the flame in the West Midlands came in April 1985. Police were given special powers to raid local cafés with a view to crack down on marijuana dealers and petty crime.

 

This strained relations between the Handsworth community and the police, with Caribbean residents describing living there as “living in a concentration camp with fringe benefits.” At 5.00pm on the 5th of September 1985, an argument ensued between a policeman and a black driver over a parking ticket. This seemingly routine procedure led to a reported 100 young black people gathering to accuse the police officer of racism. A riot followed. There were bricks and gasoline bombs being thrown, fires being started and even an alleged assault by a policeman on a black woman.

 

On the morning of the 10th of September, calm was enforced, but not before 437 arrests were made, two people killed and an injured list comprising of 79 police, 8 fire officers and 35 civilians. Despite this, lessons were not learnt as later on in the same week ‘copy-cat riots’ happened in Dudley and Wolverhampton. By the 1990’s, racial attacks rose to 60,000 a year.

 

With lives lost and livelihoods ruined, something needed to be done. Much earlier, in 1952, the British Welfare Service had passed an act to ‘give a more definite social status’ to the Caribbean community. The question is, however, was it enough? Using the riots as evidence, the answer would appear to be no.

Since then more action has been taken. In 2002, for example, Wolverhampton set up a panel made up of local African-Caribbean representatives to give advice on race and cultural issues. Despite the action taken, animosity was still high in 2005, when allegedly a 14-year old Jamaican girl was raped but didn’t go to the police because she feared deportation. This sparked riots, during which a black man was stabbed to death. It happened in the same area as the riot of 1985.

 

When is this going to stop? As young people, we have to break this cycle through respect for each other and recognition of the origins and foundations of our local communities.

 

The African-Caribbean community helped to rebuild the Black Country. It is time to give respect and value to Caribbean people and other ethnic minorities. This in itself will lead to an end in rioting. As for the argument that ‘they’ (who have lived here since 1948) are stealing our jobs? The answer is: ‘they’ helped create the jobs. ‘They’ ensured the prosperity of the area and secured the industrial reputation the Black Country is famous for.

 

Before starting your own riot, whether mental or physical, take a closer look. Then say thank you.