The Annual Windrush Day Lecture, presented by Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage, features Professor Verene A Shepherd with a powerful talk: “They Called Me N**r”: The Historical Roots of Literary Protest by Caribbean Immigrants in Britain.
The title takes inspiration from Una Marson’s poignant and confrontational poem, anchoring the lecture in a tradition of Black literary resistance.
Windrush Day, commemorated each year on 22 June, marks the arrival of the SS Empire Windrush in 1948—a moment that symbolises the beginning of postwar Caribbean migration to the UK. Since its official recognition in 2018, the date has evolved into a national occasion for honouring the resilience, contributions and legacy of the Windrush Generation and their descendants.
Launched in 2020, the Annual Windrush Day Lecture provides space for deep reflection and analysis of Britain’s complex relationship with its Caribbean communities. Framed by pressing contemporary contexts—from the Windrush scandal to Black Lives Matter and Brexit—this lecture series amplifies voices that speak to Black presence, resistance and the ongoing struggle for justice.
Professor Verene A Shepherd, a leading historian and human rights advocate, brings decades of scholarship and activism to this year’s event. A professor of social history at the University of the West Indies and Chair of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Shepherd has played a key role in global conversations about colonial legacies and reparatory justice for the Caribbean.
Her lecture traces the roots of literary protest among Caribbean immigrants in Britain, focusing on how poetry, storytelling and public writing have served as powerful tools for resistance. Drawing links between past and present, she will also reflect on recent investigations into the Windrush scandal, offering historical context for the injustices still felt today.
This special Windrush Day event foregrounds literature as a form of survival, remembrance and protest. Through Shepherd’s lens, it offers not only historical clarity but a compelling invitation to rethink national memory, belonging and justice.
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