August 11 1926:
Born at 26 North Street, Kingston, Jamaica
1929 to 1939:
Great Depression: poverty and unemployment rife, wages low, housing and living conditions dire in Jamaica
1931:
Father, Richard Pow (Pow Un Chun) dies
1932 to 1935:
Attended Chinese School, Kingston
1935 to 1942:
Attended St Annes Elementary School, Kingston
1937:
Strikes and protests over starvation wages, poor working conditions and property rights in Jamaica
1939:
Outbreak of World War II - food shortages prevailed, black-out regulations applied
1940:
Recruitment of Commonwealth people into the British Armed Forces begins
1941 to 1945:
The Battle of the Caribbean - German U-boats and Italian submarines disrupted and sank ships
1942 to 1944:
Attended Kingston Technical High School
June 15 1944:
Volunteered in Kingston to join the RAF
July 28 1944:
Enlisted in Kingston
November 12 1944:
Disembarked "SS Cuba" in Greenock, Inverclyde, near Glasgow, with approximately 1000 other volunteers; transported to Hunmanby Moor, Filey, Yorkshire, for basic training
December 1944:
Designated Aircraftsman 2, sent to UNIT 9R radio station at RAF Yatesbury, Wiltshire, for radar training
May 8 1945:
World War II - victory in Europe
September 2 1945:
World War II - victory over Japan
December 1945:
Designated Aircraftsman 1
March 17 1946:
Joined 78 Wing in Ashburton, Devon
May 22 1946:
Joined 75 Wing also in Ashburton
December 31 1946:
Designated Leading Aircraftsman
June 29 1947:
Released from RAF Section 5 (2) and transferred to Southern Signals Base HQ
March 27 1948:
Recalled to RAF Filton, near Bristol
May 3 1948:
Sent to RAF Burtonwood, Cheshire
May 7 1948:
Embarked on "HMT Empire Windrush" from Southampton
May 24 1948:
Disembarked from "HMT Empire Windrush" at Kingston
May 27 1948:
Departure of "HMT Empire Windrush" from Kingston
June 22 1948:
Arrival of "HMT Empire Windrush", Tilbury Docks, East London
August 22 1948:
Demobilised from the RAF in Kingston
September 1948:
Embarked on "SS Orbita" as a civilian, sailing from Kingston
October 2 1948:
Disembarked "SS Orbita" at Liverpool
October 11 1948:
Based at Fern Lea, 123 Quarry Street, Woolton, Liverpool
November 30 1948 to September 30 1949:
Lived at 185 Bristol Road, Birmingham 5, and worked as an electrician's mate at Bellis & Morcom, Birmingham 16
December 2, 1948:
Moved to Causeway Green Hostel for ex-servicemen
August 4 to 8, 1949:
Violent incidents broke out in the hostel between Polish and Jamaican residents
September 13 1949:
Married Barbara Poole in Oldbury, Worcestershire
October 3 1949 to December 30, 1949:
Employed as a fitter for Gowshall Ltd, in Oldbury
December 3 1949:
First child, Terence, born
January 2 1950 to April 22, 1950:
Employed as a tester for Beech Hill & Co. Ltd. in West Bromwich
January 10 1950:
Moved to 88 Jubilee Street, West Bromwich
April 24, 1950:
Moved t 46 Bennett Street, Long Eaton
June 22 1950 to November 1950:
Worked as a machine operator for Elson & Robbins in Long Eaton
November 1950:
Second child, Malcolm, born
c 1950 onward:
A founder member/associate of a number of local organisations devoted to combatting racism and discrimination; and a member of left-wing political organisations and trade unions
February 12 1951 to February 15 1952:
Worked as an electrician for British Celanese in Spondon, Derbyshire
February 18 1952 to October 9 1953:
Worked as an electrician for C.W.S. Engineers in Nottingham
June 1952:
Third child, Daphne, born
February 26 1953:
Son Terence died in an accident, drowning in a local canal
by 1953:
Moved to Portland Road, Sawley, Derbyshire
October 12 1953 to April 29 1960:
Worked as an electrician at the Central Ordnance Depot, Chilwell, Nottinghamshire
1956 to 1959:
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
1953 to 1955:
Studied Youth Leadership and Industrial Psychology at Workers Education Association evening classes
December 1957:
Studied English, Mathematics, Engineering Drawing, and Engineering Science in East Midlands Educational Union evening classes
December 1957:
Fourth child, Desmond, born
May 11 1958:
AWIU policy document was published in response to the Nottingham riots
August 1958:
Labour MP Fenner Brockway's London house daubed with swastikas and 'Keep Britain White' slogans
September 8 1958:
Week-long riots in the St Anns area of Nottingham, with violent clashes between black and white people
October 1959:
Fifth child, Cynthia born
1958:
Published a seminal pamphlet, "Don’t Blame the Blacks" on behalf of the Afro-Asian West Indian Union
May 2 1960 to August 25 1967:
Worked as an electrician at Brush Co. Ltd., Loughborough, Leicestershire
July 1 1962:
1962 Commonwealth Immigrants Act came into effect
August 6 1966:
Jamaica achieves independence
1963 to 1966:
Served as Labour Councillor in Sawley Ward for Long Eaton District Council
1963:
Met Jill Westby through Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
c 1966:
Mother, Leonora, died
1967:
Initiated a one-off sit-in in a pub, the Mechanics Arms, in St. Anns, which practiced racial segregation
1967 to 1969:
Studied at Fircroft College, in Selly Oak, Birmingham, gaining GCEs
April 20 1968:
Enoch Powell 'Rivers of Blood' Speech
May 19 1969 to September 1 1969:
Worked as an electrician at Central Electrical Generating Board at Spondon, Derbyshire
September 1969 to July 1972:
Trained as a mathematics teacher at Nottingham Trent Polytechnic (now Nottingham Trent University)
1970:
Separated from Barbara
1970:
Acquired British citizenship
1970 to 2011:
Summer holidays camping in Europe
1971 to 1982:
Lived with friends in a shared house, in part of St. Anns, Nottingham, now designated as Mapperley
1971 onward:
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
September 1972 to April 1982:
Taught mathematics at Robert Mellors Secondary School, Arnold, Nottinghamshire (now Arnold Academy)
1972:
Campaigned against low wages and poor conditions in a textile company employing Pakistani people
January 1 1973:
the 1971 Immigration Act becomes law
c 1973 to 2013:
Made annual solo visits, usually in winter, to Jamaica
1977:
George and Barbara divorced
1978:
Established the Afro-Caribbean National Artistic Centre in St. Anns, Nottingham
1981:
Visited Jamaica with Jill during Easter holidays
April 3 1982:
George and Jill married
April 1982:
Took early retirement from teaching
May 1982:
George and Jill moved into a house in Mapperley
Summer 1982:
Second Jamaican visit, for five weeks, in the summer holidays
September 1988:
Hurricane Gilbert strikes Jamaica and the Caribbean
1989 to 1992:
Served as Labour Councillor in Manvers Ward for the Nottinghamshire County Council
1989:
Third Jamaican visit with Jill - Christmas and New Year
2007:
Changed surname by Deed Poll from 'Pow' to 'Powe'
2011 to 2013:
An important contributor, particularly of political documents and artefacts, to Nottingham Black Archive
May 25, 2012:
Home Secretary Theresa May's "Hostile Environment" policy launched
2013:
Last Jamaican visit with Jill, spring, celebrating sister Bibby's 90th birthday
September 9 2013:
George died at home, aged 87
September 13 2013:
Nottingham Black Archive "No tears for me my mother" project dedicated to his memory
September 24 2014:
Funeral held at the Baptist Church, Mansfield Road, Nottingham. Buried at Wilford Hill cemetery, Nottingham
November 4 2013:
Obituary by Jill Westby featured in the Guardian 'Other Lives'
2015:
Graphic novel 'Powe meets Africanus' by Panya Banjoko published
November 2017:
First deportation threats under the Windrush scandal
2018:
Featured in Nottingham Black Archive project 'Journeys to Nottingham'
April 17, 2018: Therese May apologised to Caribbean leaders over the Windrush generation controversy
July 19 2018:
Wendy Williams' "Windrush Lessons Learned Independent Review" report to the Home Office
October 18 2018:
Nominated for 'Windrush Legacy' award initiated by Jamaican High Commission to mark the 70th anniversary of the HMT Windrush arrival
September 14 2019:
Commemorated as one of 500 Jamaicans receiving the 'Windrush Legacy' award
June 22 2021:
"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
September 2021:
georgepowe.net website launched
November 15 2021:
Reforming the Windrush Compensation scheme launched
June 22 2022:
National Windrush Monument unveiled in London
July 2 2022:
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"
August 2022:
Nottingham City Transport route 45 (now route 60) bus named "George Powe" on 87th anniversary of his birth
September 4 2022:
Successful campaign to reverse discriminatory employment practices at Raleigh featured in the BBC 'Antiques Road Show'
July 20 2023:
Illegal Migration Act 2023 becomes law
January 2025:
An AWIU policy document co-authored by George was used by the British Library as part of a learning resource to explore the history of migration and empire for Key Stage Three of the National Curriculum.
January 8 to April 12 2025:
"Don't Blame the Blacks" pamphlet featured in an exhibition entitled "In the Grip of Change: the Caribbean and its Diaspora" at the Senate House Library, University of London.
June 20 2025:
Launch of the the online version of the Senate House Library, University of London "In the Grip of Change: the Caribbean and its Diaspora" exhibition.
August 11 2026:
100th anniversary of George's birth, commemorated by a Nottingham Black Archive event at the Central Library, Nottingham, at which Don't Blame the Blacks was a prominant feature.
Next: Nottingham Black Archive