Community Resistance to Hate in Birmingham: Mus’s Story of Solidarity and Action on the Win Happy Podcast

In March 2022, as Birmingham was beginning to adjust to life after Covid-19, the city saw a renewed wave of racist and hateful literature being distributed by a group calling itself the Patriotic Alternative.

For Mus, the incident brought back painful memories of racist bullying from her childhood. What felt especially unsettling was how quickly this form of hate resurfaced in everyday community spaces.

In response, Mus reached out cautiously to her neighbours through a local WhatsApp group—most of whom were white residents. To her relief, the reaction was overwhelmingly supportive. Neighbours expressed shock and disgust at the material being circulated, and what began as a few conversations quickly developed into collective action. The community came together and worked to shut down the spread of hate locally, effectively “removing the oxygen” from those attempting to divide them.

This experience became a turning point, helping to inspire and shape community organising work such as that of Brummies United, which focuses on building solidarity and challenging racism at a grassroots level across Birmingham.

In a related podcast conversation, Mus reflects on the impact racism has had throughout her life, how those experiences have influenced her career, and how community resistance has evolved over time. The discussion also touches on the role of fear in politics and the rise of figures such as Nigel Farage and his party, Reform UK, in shaping public discourse.

The episode is available here: Listen to the podcast episode

Ultimately, the story highlights how communities can respond to hate not just with rejection but with solidarity, conversation, and collective action.