From War to Windrush, for the young and the old

A new exhibit will be in place at the Institute of Jamaica's Tower Street Gallery from now until September 2011, celebrating the thousands of West Indians who volunteered to risk their lives for duty during World War I and II.

'From War to Windrush' and 'War: Lest We Forget' were presented to the public Sunday morning by the museums of history and ethnography director, Staci-Marie Dehaney, who said the pieces were collected "from families, veterans, different libraries, the Jamaican Military Museum, many different places" to give a cohesive archival viewing of the West Indian involvement during the two wars.

The project began in June 2008 as a special exhibition at the Imperial War Museum, London, marking the 60th anniversary of the arrival of the MV Empire Windrush, a ship carrying job-searching West Indians to Britain in the wake of 1948 post-war migration.

The travelling exhibit explores the events in history that created the West Indian Diaspora in Britain, consequently impacting British multiculturalism today.

Detailed insight

A local partner exhibition, 'War: Lest We Forget', created by the Museum Division of the Institute of Jamaica, gives a more detailed insight into the experiences of Jamaican soldiers during wartime.

The exhibit looks critically at the lives, aspirations and challenges of Jamaicans during and after their tour of duty, fighting for the British Crown.

The local exhibit utilises its materials smartly, referencing not just the sense of adventure that spurred many Jamaicans to volunteer or the bravery of the women and men who fought on the frontlines, but also the challenges of prejudice and the hardships of post-war unemployment.

These frustrations, as was explained in the exhibit's description, "led to a new thinking that instead of fighting for 'mother country' the focus of the black man should be to free himself".

The Jamaican wartime participation led to an evolvement in Jamaican history with both the search for independence at home and the massive immigration of ex-servicemen from Jamaica to Britain in search of employment.

Both exhibits portray that moment in history in a personal way by using memorabilia, war documents and photographs.

An important aspect of the exhibit is that it appeals to the youngest and oldest of generations. As a more mature generation paced the museums corridors taking in the exhibit's content, a younger generation engaged with the exhibit in an interactive room for youth where the Jamaican Defence Force had set up a micro-sized boot camp for play.

Some patrons in attendance browsed the archive of letters and photos with family members and recollected personal stories of their forefathers' participation in the wars.

It's an experience not to be lost on today's young Jamaicans, and old, something for both generations to visit and reflect on as a milestone in the history of events leading up to Jamaican independence.

- E.H.