Who Was Michael X? - Mother Country

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Making a home in the slums of Notting Hill, Michael and others of the Windrush generation find that instead of being welcomed to the UK as fellow Brits they are discriminated against and rejected.

This area is one of the epicentres of the black experience in Britain and tensions are heightened by the interference of the fascist Sir Oswald Moseley, who helps to whip up the native population to riot against the black community. They roam the streets looking for black people to attack along with black businesses and homes.

Michael helps to form part of the fightback against the rioters and with weapons and planning they push back the attackers. This moment forms the identity of ‘black British’ for generations to come.

Later, Michael comes into contact with the notorious landlord Peter Rachman, eventually betraying his community to become an enforcer for him. He violently evicts members of the same community he had just helped to protect.

Published on Wednesday, 31st August 2022.

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