The West Indian Students' Centre (WISC) was located at 1 Collingham Gardens, Earls Court, London, in a building bought with the support of West Indian governments, and officially opened on 1 June 1955 by Princess Margaret.[1] Hosting activities and events primarily for students from the West Indies, WISC also became a key London venue for others from the African diaspora, and provided facilities and a meeting place for such organisations as the West Indian Standing Committee, the Commission for Racial Equality, and the Caribbean Artists Movement (CAM),[1] which latter grouping held regular public sessions there from March 1967.[2][3] Among leaders from the Caribbean who when visiting the UK made a point of speaking at meetings organised at WISC were Norman Manley, Eric Williams, Forbes Burnham, and Cheddi Jagan,[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b David Clover, "Dispersed or Destroyed: Archives, the West Indian Students' Union, and Public Memory", in Sandra Courtman (ed.), The Society for Caribbean Studies Annual Conference Papers, Vol. 6, 2005, p. 8. ISSN 1471-2024.
- ^ "Caribbean Artists Movement", George Padmore Institute.
- ^ Errol Lloyd, "Caribbean Artists Movement (1966–1972)", Windrush Stories, British Library, 4 October 2018.
- ^ Hon. D. A. C. Simmons, "Congratulatory Speeches", THE House of Assembly Debates, Barbados Parliament, 5 December 2000.