August 11, 1926
1929 to 1939
1931
1932 to 1935
1935 to 1942
1937
1939
1940
1941 to 1945
May 8, 1945
September 2, 1945
1942 to 1944
June 15, 1944
July 28, 1944
November 12, 1944
December, 1944
December, 1945
March 17, 1946
May 22, 1946
December 31, 1946
June 29, 1947
March 27, 1948
May 3, 1948
May 7, 1949
May 24, 1948
June 22, 1948
August 22, 1948
September 1948
October 2, 1948
October 11, 1948
November 30 1948 to September 30, 1949
November 30, 1948 to September 30, 1949
December 2, 1948
August 4 to 8, 1949
September 13, 1949
October 3, 1949 to December 30, 1949
December 3, 1949
January 2, 1950 to April 22, 1950
January 10, 1950
April 24, 1950
June 22, 1950 to November 1950
June, 1950
c1950 onward
February 12, 1951 to February 15, 1952
February 18, 1952 to October 9, 1953
June, 1950
February 26, 1953
by 1953
October 12, 1953 to April 29, 1960
1956 to 1959
1950 to 1953
1953 to 1955
December 1957
May 11, 1958
August 1958
October 1959
1958
May 2, 1960 to August 25, 1967
August 6, 1966
1963 to 1966
1963
c 1966
1967
1967 to 1969
April 20, 1968
May 19, 1969 to September 1, 1969
September 1969 to July 1972
1970
1970
1970 to 2011
1971 to 1982
September 1972 to April 1982
1972
1971 onward
January 1, 1973
c1973 to 2013
1977
1978
1981
April 3, 1982
Apr-82
May-82
Summer 1982
September 1988
1989 to 1992
1989
April 22, 1993
2007
2011 to 2013
May 25, 2012
2013
September 9, 2013
Sep13
September 24, 2013
November 4, 2013
2015
November 2017
2018
July 19, 2018
October 18
September 14, 2019
June 22, 2021
June 22, 2022
July 2, 2022
August 21
August 11, 2022
September 4, 2022
July 20, 2023
Born at 26 North Street, Kingston, Jamaica
Great Depression: poverty and unemployment rife, wages low, housing and living conditions dire
Father, Richard Pow (Pow Un Chun) dies
Attended Chinese School, Kingston
Attended St Annes Elementary School, Kingston
Strikes and protests over starvation wages, poor working conditions and property rights
Outbreak of World War II: food shortages prevailed, black-out regulations applied
Recruitment of Commonwealth people into the British Armed Forces begins
The Battle of the Caribbean: German U-boats and Italian submarines disrupted and sank ships
World War II: victory in Europe
World War II: victory over Japan
Attended Kingston Technical High School
Volunteered in Kingston to join the RAF
Enlisted in Kingston
Disembarked in Greenock, Inverclyde, near Glasgow, with approximately 1000 other volunteers; transported to Hunmanby Moor, Filey, Yorkshire, for basic training
Designated Aircraftsman 2, sent to UNIT 9R radio station at RAF Yatesbury, Wiltshire, for radar training
Designated Aircraftsman 1
Joined 78 Wing in Ashburton, Devon
Joined 75 Wing also in Ashburton
Designated Leading Aircraftsman
Released from RAF Section 5 (2) and transferred to Southern Signals Base HQ
Recalled to RAF Filton, near Bristol
Sent to RAF Burtonwood, Cheshire
Embarked from Liverpool
Disembarked at Kingston on the day that 'HMT Empire Windrush' left
Arrival of 'HMT Windrush', Tilbury Docks, East London
Demobilised from the RAF in Kingston
Embarked on the S.S. Orbita as a civilian, sailing from Kingston
Disembarked at Liverpool
Based at Fern Lea, 123 Quarry Street, Woolton, Liverpool
Moved to 185 Bristol Road, Birmingham 5
Worked as an electrician's mate at Bellis & Morcom, Birmingham 16
Moved to Causeway Green Hostel for ex-servicemen
Violent incidents broke out between Polish and Jamaican residents
Married Barbara Poole in Oldbury, Worcestershire
Employed as a fitter for Gowshall Ltd, in Oldbury
First child, Terence, born
Employed as a tester for Beech Hill & Co. Ltd. in West Bromwich
Moved to 88 Jubilee Street, West Bromwich
Moved to 46 Bennett Street, Long Eaton
Worked as a machine operator for Elson & Robbins in Long Eaton
Second child, Malcolm, born
A founder member/associate of a number of local organisations devoted to combatting racism and discrimination; andé a member of left-wing political organisations and trade unions
Worked as an electrician for British Celanese in Spondon, Derbyshire
Worked as an electrician for C.W.S. Engineers in Nottingham
Third child, Daphne, born
Terence aged four, died in an accident, drowning in a local canal
Moved to Portland Road, Sawley, Derbyshire
Worked as an electrician at the Central Ordnance Depot, Chilwell, Nottinghamshire
Initiated a campaign to make the Raleigh Cycle Company reverse its policy of not employing black people; a boycott halting the export of Raleigh cycles to Jamaica was a large factor in its success
Studied Youth Leadership and Industrial Psychology at Workers Education Association evening classes
Studied English, Mathematics, Engineering Drawing, and Engineering Science in East Midlands Educational Union evening classes
Fourth child, Desmond, born
Labour MP Fenner Brockway's London house daubed with swastikas and 'Keep Britain White' slogans
Week-long riots in the St Anns area of Nottingham, with violent clashes between black and white people
Fifth child, born
Published a seminal pamphlet, Don’t Blame the Blacks on behalf of the Afro-Asian West Indian Union
Worked as an electrician at Brush Co. Ltd., Loughborough, Leicestershire
Jamaica achieves independence
Served as Labour Councillor in Sawley Ward for Long Eaton District Council
Met Jill Westby through Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Mother, Leonora, died
Initiated a one-off sit-in in a pub, the Mechanics Arms, in St. Anns, which practiced racial segregation
Studied at Fircroft College, in Selly Oak, Birmingham, gaining GCEs
Enoch Powell 'Rivers of Blood' Speech
Worked as an electrician at Central Electrical Generating Board at Spondon, Derbyshire
Trained as a mathematics teacher at Nottingham Trent Polytechnic (now Nottingham Trent University)
Separated from Barbara
Acquired British citizenship
Summer holidays camping in Europe
Lived with friends in a shared house, in part of St. Anns, Nottingham, now designated as Mapperley
Taught mathematics at Robert Mellors Secondary School, Arnold, Nottinghamshire (now Arnold Academy)
Campaigned against low wages and poor conditions in a textile company employing Pakistani people
Helped people to successfully apply for visas, secure their right to remain, to apply for passports or British citizenship, as well as assisting with housing, financial, social and educational matters
The 1971 Immigration Act
Made annual solo visits, usually in winter, to Jamaica
George and Barbara divorced
Established the Afro-Caribbean National Artistic Centre in St. Anns, Nottingham
Visited Jamaica with Jill during Easter holidays
George and Jill married
George took early retirement from teaching
George and Jill moved into a house in Mapperley
Second Jamaican visit, for five weeks, in the summer holidays
Hurricane Gilbert strikes Jamaica and the Caribbean
Served as Labour Councillor in Manvers Ward for the Nottinghamshire County Council
Third Jamaican visit with Jill - Christmas and New Year
Stephen Lawrence murdered in Plumstead, southeast London
Changed surname by Deed Poll from 'Pow' to 'Powe'
An important contributor, particularly of political documents and artefacts, to Nottingham Black Archive
Home Secretary Theresa May's "Hostile Environment" policy launched
Last Jamaican visit with Jill, spring, celebrating sister Bibby's 90th birthday
George died at home, aged 87
Nottingham Black Archive No tears for me my mother project dedicated to his memory
Funeral held at the Baptist Church, Mansfield Road, Nottingham. Buried at Wilford Hill cemetery, Nottingham
Obituary by Jill Westby featured in the Guardian 'Other Lives'
Graphic novel 'Powe meets Africanus' by Panya Banjoko published
First deportation threats under the Windrush scandal
Featured in Nottingham Black Archive project 'Journeys to Nottingham'
Wendy Williams' "Windrush Lessons Learned Independent Review" report to the Home Office
Nominated for 'Windrush Legacy' award initiated by Jamaican High Commission to mark the 70th anniversary of the HMT Windrush
Commemorated as one of 500 Jamaicans receiving the 'Windrush Legacy' award
"Don't Blame the Blacks" Exhibition, a Nottingham Black Archive project opened at Nottingham Castle; pop-up version displayed at Primary contemporary visual arts organization
National Windrush Monument unveiled in London
Commemorative blue plaque installed on the 78th anniversary of his enlistment in the RAF, reading: "Born in Jamaica. Lived in England from 1948. Prolific community activist against racism and inequality."
In a voluntary capacity he helped thousands of Jamaicans in and around Nottingham to achieve their rights in manners of immigration, visas, divorce, tax returns, debt, child education, and in any other situation where it was clear that racial discrimination stood in the way of employment, education, or social opportunity. This work became more crucial after the 1971 Immigration Act was passed. On many occasions these issues reached the Magistrates' Courts and were always successful.
georgepowe.net website launched
Nottingham City Transport route 45 bus named "George Powe" on 87th anniversary of his birth
Successful campaign to reverse discriminatory employment practices at Raleigh featured in the BBC 'Antiques Road Show'
Illegal Migration Act 2023 becomes law