Moss Side's Family Spirit: Nurturing Next Gen

0:00On April 30th, back in the 70s and 80s, Mossside and Manchester faced heavy racism, but local elders stepped up for young black men. Teaching trades like Carpentry and Electrics through groups like the Mossside Independent United Order of Mechanics. Guys like Wittsdonet, who arrived from Jamaica in 1959, built community support despite signs saying no blacks, no dogs, no Irish. These elders provided mutual aid, housing for single moms, and guidance to dodge police trouble and build skills, turning raw talent into careers. Mario Farcason remembers dodging slurs and rocks from bus drivers on his run home, but credits those mentors for his path from electrician to human. Rights work. Now in their later years, Mario and others lead the Mossside and Home Community Development Trust, reviving the Windrush Millennium Center and Home. As a hub for over 30 small businesses aimed at West Indian and African communities, it's got a soup kitchen, clothes exchange, stem classes for kids, and legal aid for Windrush

1:02issues. Lately, they've added high-tech kitchens, workspaces, and a podcast studio called The Golden Touch, honoring a probation worker who helped youth. Community spots like a pre-loved shop sell clothes for three to five pounds, tackling cost of living struggles, while events like the Manchester Jerk, festival-keek Caribbean vibes alive. This full circle effort shows how Mossside's family spirit endures, nurturing the next generation to thrive right where it all started, proving real. Change comes from within.