Windrush Day 22nd June

The first Windrush Day was celebrated in the UK on 22 June 2019. This day acknowledes the generation of people from the Caribbean, who came over to the UK by invitation to help rebuild Britain after the World War Two.

But when 500 migrants from the Caribbean arrived at Tilbury Docks in Essex in 1948 to live and work in the UK, they were met with racism, prejudice and hostility.

My parents came over from Grenada in the early 70’s, after the Windrush generation. It pains me that decades after Windrush they were mistreated. And decades after thatWindrush Scandal hit the news in 2018.

Over the years I have written various spoken word/ poetry pieces exploring racism, identity and culture. I have shared some of these pieces below.

My poetry dedication to Windrush Day

They beat sticks – an audio recording of a poem from my book Warrior.

Go back to your country – an audio recording

Still enslaved (aka ‘we rose out of freedom’) – an audio recording

My poetry: the fight and freedom

the fight by traysi benjamin-matthew
freedom by traysi benjamin-matthew

Copyright © 2020 Traysi Benjamin-Matthew
All rights reserved. No portion of this post may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or by otherwise without the express written permission from Traysi Benjamin-Matthew

My poetry: beyond and she grew

beyond by traysi benjamin-matthew
she grew by traysi benjamin-matthew

Copyright © 2020 Traysi Benjamin-Matthew
All rights reserved. No portion of this post may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or by otherwise without the express written permission from Traysi Benjamin-Matthew

My poetry: cling and born to be

cling by traysi benjamin-matthew
born to be by traysi benjamin-matthew

Copyright © 2020 Traysi Benjamin-Matthew
All rights reserved. No portion of this post may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or by otherwise without the express written permission from Traysi Benjamin-Matthew