02/06/2026
Sat 20th June at 6pm UK time - Amy C, Tre VG, June-Elizabeth WSG and Mike L will be speaking online at the Intergalactic Resistance Studies Conference at the University of Massachusetts.
Representing Northampton’s radical tradition, ‘Rooted’ discusses resistance as lived, collective, and intergenerational.
The Matta Fancanta Movement (MFM) was a Rastafarian grassroots youth movement in Northampton (UK) who ran a nationally popular community venue in an occupied building from 1977 until the early 1990s. They formed in response to the lack of social spaces for young Black people in Northampton. Faced with systematic exclusion, they squatted a disused building, which ultimately led to the local council renting it to them. In the end, the council demolished the building in the dead of night without warning in the 1990s.
While it lasted, MFM opened many doors for countless young people, and was a catalyst for many local initiatives and businesses.
Drawing on interviews with former members, this paper traces the history of a Black-led resistance and community practice
‘Rooted’ explores how everyday resistance, occupying disused land, and ongoing community-building enable people to take control of their lives.
Register at
https://resistance-journal.org
