Forging a Black Identity in Post-War Britain

I. Working and Living in Britain in the 1950s (Travel Advertisement, Windrush Vessel)
A. Getting and Spending
1. perceptions about West Indian work ethic framed discourse about presence in the post-war society and economy:
a) “Caribbean syndrome” or apathy and an inability to exercise initiative
b) opposite of the “Caribbean syndrome”: worked too much
c) “hustlers”- availed themselves of the grey areas of the economy
(Selvon references: p. 41)
2. racial politics of labor shaped role in the workforce:
a) designated identity on state employment forms
b) directed towards work that was manual and/or out of doors
c) limited job security
(Selvon references: pp. 39, 46 & 51-53)
3. consumer economy served a partial means to integrate West Indies into society (Image of Harrow Shop, Breadfruit, Cassava and Saltfish, Shoe Shine Product, Hippodrome):
a) tailors cater to working males
b) merchants adopt food ways
c) clubs, cinemas and restaurants available to paying customers
(Selvon references: pp. 76-80 & 85-87)

B. Sex and Romance (Images of Windrush Passagers including a close up portrait, Marble Arch, Waterloo Bridge Film Poster)
1. post-war urban terrain was location for sexual contact and experimentation:
a) more disposal income and less parental supervision or control over mobility
b) surge in unattached young people to enjoy and participate in the leisure culture
c) availability of sexual and romantic possibilities
(Selvon references: pp. 39, 73, 90, 107 & 109)
2. inter-racial relationships reflected the new possibilities of the post-war period:
a) presence of black men and small number of black women created more opportunities for inter-racial interaction
b) sexual encounters, ranging from single meeting to co-habitation; as form of economic exchange; or part of sexual sub-culture of experimentation
c) obstacles to sanctioned long term relationships (i.e., preference for experimentation, employment insecurity, family bias)

C. Creating a Sense of Place and Belonging
1. established a presence and formed a sense of place in Britain:
a) understanding the urban geography and transportation system
b) adopting food ways of Britain
c) forming long-term relationships with women
d) making social institutions such as clubs
(Selvon references: pp. 90 & 107)
2. returning home to West Indies complicated by nascent sense of black British identity:
a) experience of racism
b) reduction of island chauvinism
c) rights as a British citizen/subject
d) multiple meanings of home and exile
(Selvon references: pp. 28 40, 120, 130 & 132)