From the Heart with Floella Benjamin

From the Heart with Floella Benjamin

'From the Heart with Floella Benjamin' is a brand new podcast, launching in honour of Windrush Day and to share Baroness Floella Benjamin's incredible stories of resilience and overcoming adversity. The first episode will be dedicated to the first ever Windrush day, and the rest of the mini-series will be exploring topics such as emotional resilience, knowing yourself, and the power of positivity. Baroness Floella Benjamin is an accomplished actress, broadcaster, author and philanthropist. She has received a BAFTA Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to the media, and an OBE for her commitment to her country. She has worked in business, politics and is a member of the House of Lords. Baroness Floella Benjamin made a journey to the United Kingdom as part of the Windrush generation, where she has suffered hostility and prejudice for much of her early life. For years she has drawn upon the adversities and difficult experiences of her past, to change public perception and create a better environment for future generations. Her unbreakable optimism and determination led to the government declaring the 22nd of June as the official recognition and celebration of the Windrush generation. This marks an important historical moment when the diaspora of West Indians became entwined with Great Britain. Floella has been appointed to be the guest editor of The Big Issue to highlight the story of the Windrush generation and to give hope to future generations, through this podcast and her political and philanthropic work.

  1. Floella's Story: How Windrush Hurt A Generation

    22/06/2019

    Floella's Story: How Windrush Hurt A Generation

    How would you deal with facing hatred and prejudice in the place you call home? For Floella Benjamin this was a difficult reality when she came to England as part of the Windrush Generation, arriving in England to an environment of hostility and adversity. In this episode, commemorating the first ever Windrush Day on the 22nd June, Baroness Benjamin explains her childhood experiences of growing up in Trinidad, coming to Britain and the reaction of British people to the influx of Caribbean on Empire Windrush. Through the perspective of her childhood, Floella illustrates how she grew up identifying herself as a proud member of the British Commonwealth. When she arrived in the 'Motherland' she was subjected to racist bullying and hostile treatment. Somehow and with the help of her devoted parents, she found the strength and love to accept herself and smile through the adversity. Now, she looks back on a successful, eclectic and distinguished career. She has long been a star on stage and screen, a published author, business women and is now a Baroness in the House of Lords. Her achievements have been hard-won and are a symbol of triumph over adversity. After years of campaigning for the recognition of the suffering of the Windrush generation, Baroness Benjamin is excited to invite you to join her in celebration of Windrush Day, to mark this important joining of Caribbean and British cultures and to remind us never to repeat the failings of our past. Subscribe now and listen to this podcast on Global player, or wherever you get your podcasts.
    22 min

About

'From the Heart with Floella Benjamin' is a brand new podcast, launching in honour of Windrush Day and to share Baroness Floella Benjamin's incredible stories of resilience and overcoming adversity. The first episode will be dedicated to the first ever Windrush day, and the rest of the mini-series will be exploring topics such as emotional resilience, knowing yourself, and the power of positivity. Baroness Floella Benjamin is an accomplished actress, broadcaster, author and philanthropist. She has received a BAFTA Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to the media, and an OBE for her commitment to her country. She has worked in business, politics and is a member of the House of Lords. Baroness Floella Benjamin made a journey to the United Kingdom as part of the Windrush generation, where she has suffered hostility and prejudice for much of her early life. For years she has drawn upon the adversities and difficult experiences of her past, to change public perception and create a better environment for future generations. Her unbreakable optimism and determination led to the government declaring the 22nd of June as the official recognition and celebration of the Windrush generation. This marks an important historical moment when the diaspora of West Indians became entwined with Great Britain. Floella has been appointed to be the guest editor of The Big Issue to highlight the story of the Windrush generation and to give hope to future generations, through this podcast and her political and philanthropic work.

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