We are now underway on the 3rd read through of Benjamin Zephaniah's 'Windrush Child'. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Empire Windrush's arrival at Tilbury Docks in London.
I noticed these meals in my local Tesco earlier in the week and wondered about their origins.
I was interested in whether this was cultural appropriation of the flavours of the Caribbean with the Windrush marketing. We have previously discussed the story of Jamie Oliver's Jollof Rice, as featured in Dipo Faloyin's 'Africa is not a Country'.
They were actually created by Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones for Black History Month. They are a tribute to the Windrush Generation.
We didn't have any lessons because of the move-up morning.
We have offered a new unit this year on the Ben Zephaniah book 'Windrush Child' and will be teaching it again next year with a few tweaks by Mrs. Melville.
It has been visited by the GA Vice President Alastair Owens:
Thomas J Price’s Warm Shores statues (part of Hackney Windrush Art Commission unveiled yesterday) in front of @hackneycouncil Town Hall are just stunning and a great conversation starter with lots of people gathering round. You must go see! pic.twitter.com/qLFfxitve4
I posted on Twitter recently about a new unit which I am developing based on the Benjamin Zephaniah book 'Windrush Child'.
This has been going quite well, and there are likely to be a number of posts as I work through it for the first time. I've already started to add a few more elements to it and notice some clarifications that are needed for the original booklet that I created, for the 2nd edition in the next academic year.
As always, as soon as a new unit is started, stories begin to emerge which are related to it. It's amazing how often that happens.
Several weeks ago, the continued issues of the Windrush Generation to get proper compensation for their plight was on the front page of one national newspaper.
"From the darkest days of our past, and the appalling atrocity of slavery, which forever stains our histories, the people of this island forged their path with extraordinary fortitude.
"Emancipation, self-government and independence were your way-points. Freedom, justice and self-determination have been your guides."
We also explored the importance of the lion to students, as the main character is told by his grandma that "lions always roar".
We referenced the imagery of the lion.
Rastfarianism is a religion which developed in Jamaica, and there is a character in the book called Brother Book who has the characteristic dreadlocks, which are also sported by Benjamin himself. Here's Bob Marley.
I am currently working through the first running of a new unit on 'Windrush Child' by Benjamin Zephaniah. When I posted about this I got a lot of interest from teachers wanting to know more and have a copy of the scheme of work. This often happens whenever somebody posts a new resource which has perhaps taken them many hours to create.
It is something going back many years to before the existence of TES resources.
I may share some of the document at a later stage, but wouldn't share something that hadn't been pressure tested by being taught at least once.
The teaching is going well so far.
With the two groups I teach, I am currently around a third of the way through the book and Leonard has just arrived in Manchester to meet his dad and settle in to the city.
