There's more that brings us together than separates us
Throughout the year, we’re sharing stories and memories from friends and colleagues to shine a light on the experiences and values that connect us — through music, theatre, art, and culture.
Mel Barrett, CEO of Thames Valley Housing Association (TVHA) and a former local authority chief executive, reflects on the legacy of his late mother Olive, and how her story of strength and hope continues to resonate. He shares his memories with Faerfield’s Dawn Faulkner.
“I Shall Sing”
“My mother Olive was part of the Windrush generation. She emigrated from Jamaica to the UK in 1957, leaving behind her family to start a new life in Coventry. The welcome she received wasn’t always warm, but like many others, she persevered. She found work at the General Electric Company, determined to build a life in a country she hoped would offer opportunity.
Two years later, she met and married my father, Melbourne, also from Jamaica. They began their life together by renting a room in the home of a friend from ‘back home’. Eventually, they had two children and bought their first and only home in Coventry. In turn, they opened their doors to others, renting out a room to newly arrived Jamaicans. They helped others begin their journey here, just as others had helped them.
It’s a quiet, but powerful story of resilience and community one that echoes the experiences of so many in that generation. There’s a certain destiny in the fact that, after a long career in local government, I ended up joining a housing association originally founded in 1957, the same year my parents came to this country, by the wife of the former Governor General of Jamaica to support Windrush migrants. At the time, I didn’t know that connection existed. But it was clearly meant to be.
A few weeks ago, marked the second anniversary of my mother’s passing, at the age of 94. I wrote an obituary that was published in The Guardian - a small way of ensuring her story was shared. So many lives like hers remain untold. But I have a voice, and I can help tell that story.
At her funeral, we played the song I Shall Sing by Marcia Griffiths - now 75 years old and once a member of the I-Threes, Bob Marley’s legendary backing singers. The song celebrates those who remain joyful and determined in the face of life’s challenges, who keep going, who keep building, who keep singing. It was the perfect tribute.
Its lyrics “I shall sing as long as I live, and as long as I live, I shall sing” reminded many in the room of their own mothers, aunts, and grandmothers. That spirit of hope, of joy, of strength it connects us. That’s why her story matters. Because there’s more that brings us together than separates us.
If you would like to listen to 'I Shall Sing' by Marcia Griffiths, please visit https://youtu.be/_sP_M7T1y7g?si=DQutr4m6VQg18Kix.
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