To mark Windrush Day, theMeCCSA Race, Ethnicity and Post Colonial Network in collaboration with The Stephen Lawrence Research Centre at De Montfort University and Media Discourse Centre examine if, and how the media discourse on immigration and citizenship has changed and evolved?
Media discourse on immigration, race and ethnicity is best described as negative, and Government policies on immigration, appear to promote a hostile environment in order to deter potential immigrants. This discourse is not new, sixty years ago when the Windrush generation arrived in Britain they faced discrimination, prejudice and last year, a number of them who had arrived legally, most likely as children, were been removed from the UK because they were unable to prove they had a right to remain.
So what if anything has changed in the intervening years since Empire Windrush docked in 1948 bringing to the UK hundreds of Caribbean migrants? What parallels are there between the media discourse of Windrush and newer migrants from Eastern Europe or further afield? Does a post-Brexit Britain mean discrimination will be legitimised when the UK takes control of who is welcome in the country?
Keynote Speaker Patrick Vernon OBE
Since 2010 Patrick Vernon led a campaign calling for a Windrush Day and in 2018 kick started the campaign for an amnesty for the Windrush Generation as part of the Windrush Scandal which led to a government u-turn in immigration policy and resignation of Amber Rudd as Home Secretary.
The keynote Leture will be at 4pm.
Lunch, and academic papers from 12.30 onwards
More Leicester Listings MORE
Sylvia
Sylvia tells the powerful and often overlooked story of Sylvia Pankhurst — fearless, complex and determined — bringing…
Kane Brown: Crowd Work King
Following the phenomenal success of his sold-out Don’t Listen To Me tour, comedian Kane Brown returns with Crowd…
Reel Histories 2026: Black Classics
Reel Histories 2026: Black Classics is a bold film programme for Black History Month 2026, amplifying the cinematic…
Black Classics Symposium
Classical music is often associated with the Western canon, yet its development has long been shaped by diverse…
Black History Month Launch: Black Classics in Concert
Launching Black History Month 2026, Black Classics in Concert is an evening celebrating the musical legacies and enduring…
In Conversation with Mel Pennant and Lisa Smith
Two contemporary Black British authors come together at Leicester Central Library for a special Black History Month conversation…
Black History Month Cookery Course
Black History Month Cookery Course celebrates the cultures and culinary traditions of the African diaspora through a four-week…
African Caribbean Health & Wellbeing Day
African Caribbean Health & Wellbeing Day brings community members, organisations and health professionals together in Leicester for a…