Sam Beaver King was born in Portland, Jamaica, in 1926 and first came to Britain in 1944 to volunteer with the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, later returning to Jamaica before failing to settle there.
In 1948 King sailed to England on the Empire Windrush, becoming one of the ship's most prominent passengers, and went on to work for the Royal Mail while building a life in Southwark, south London.
King entered local politics as a Southwark councillor before being elected Mayor of Southwark in 1983, becoming the first Black mayor of the London borough.
In 1995 King co-founded the Windrush Foundation with Arthur Torrington to preserve the memory of the Windrush generation, and he became known as 'Mr Windrush' for his lifelong efforts to establish an annual day commemorating the ship's arrival.
King was awarded the MBE in 1998 during the 50th anniversary celebrations of Windrush and was granted the Freedom of the Borough of Southwark in 2016, before his death later that year at the age of 90.
He became known as 'Mr Windrush' for his lifelong efforts to keep the story of his generation alive.
Sam King's mayoralty and his co-founding of the Windrush Foundation helped establish Windrush Day as a fixture of British public memory, ensuring the story of the postwar Caribbean generation he represented would not be forgotten.
- 1926Born in Portland, Jamaica.
- 1944Joins the RAF.
- 1948Sails to Britain on the Empire Windrush.
- 1983Elected Mayor of Southwark, the borough’s first Black mayor.
- 1995Co-founds the Windrush Foundation.
- 1998Awarded the MBE.
- 2016Granted the Freedom of the Borough of Southwark; dies later that year.
- ★ First Black mayor of the London Borough of Southwark, 1983
- ★ Co-founded the Windrush Foundation in 1995
- ★ Instrumental in establishing Windrush Day commemorations
- ★ Awarded the MBE in 1998
- ★ Granted the Freedom of the Borough of Southwark, 2016