Past Events

CUCSA's Windrush Panel celebrated the 76th anniversary of the Windrush Generation's arrival in Britain. The event was hosted in the Keynes Library at The Cambridge Union. Speakers Patrick Vernon OBE, Deputy CEO of Jamaica National Bank Paulette Simpson, and Windrush pioneer Margaret Polydore, asserted that the work of this generation was essential to the construction of modern Britain. Our parents and grandparents remained resilient when faced with racism and homesickness, a reality contrary to the prosperous, egalitarian nation they had expected. The scandal that followed had a lasting impact on more than this generation's mental health; research has revealed that it also damaged their physical health.

Students had the opportunity to network and socialise with influential Caribbean guests, such as Arthur Torrington, Windrush Foundation institutor, and listen to Nairobi Thompson's poetry, inspired by Windrush voices.

Hearing the experiences of Windrush pioneers and first generation Windrush descendants, like those our parents and grandparents have told us, was truly insightful. In this room we had the space to understand and relate to the worldview and Caribbean-British stories that have informed our upbringing as Windrush descendants living between Britain and the Caribbean.

We hope to continue to hold these conversations, exploring and treasuring the different Caribbean experiences of the university's student community.

CUCSA and Caribbean students from Oxford's Rhodes House took turns at hosting one another. Rhodes Trust gives postgraduates the chance to study at Oxford through its global scholarship. The scholarship aims to encourage progress in research and industry thinking by inviting a diversity of visionary mindsets and cultures to these exciting conversations. In addition to their colleges, Rhodes Trust students also have access to Rhodes House. Here, these postgraduates network with other scholars, attend and host seminars, changing the world by bringing "unlikeminded people ... together in shared spirit".

During the swap, Oxbridge students visited their respective colleges, toured the universities and attended talks, including our Windrush Panel. Time spent together also included sharing meals and competing in quizzes!

We are so grateful to have spent time with the wonderful postgraduates at Rhodes House, to have celebrated our Caribbean heritage together and reflected on our experiences as Oxbridge students. We are determined to continue this partnership with students at Rhodes House for years to come!