Introduction

Two people born to African American GIs and British women set out to discover who their fathers were and learn more about their black heritage.

Outline

This is like a Long Lost Family special with a sharp historical twist. Mary from Bristol is in her late 70s and has been trying for 20 years to trace her father. He was a black GI who knew her mother when he was stationed in South Wales during World War II. After the war, he sent a letter inviting Mary and her mother to join him in America, but in a cruel move, Mary’s grandmother ensured they never received it.

Presenter Sean Fletcher highlights Mary’s story as one of thousands of children born to the British girlfriends of African-American GIs – as he puts it, “the first significant generation to be born Black and British, but missing a vital part of their identity.” John from Weymouth has a similar tale and when Fletcher tracks down relatives, we see him and Mary movingly reunited with parts of their US families, as years of stigma and isolation fall away.

Production & Filming Details

• Presenter(s):
  • Sean Fletcher.
• Director(s):
  • Alex Thomas.
• Producer(s):
  • Emily Shields … executive producer.
  • Yasmine Permaul … producer.
• Writer(s):
• Music:
• Cinematography:
• Editor(s):
• Production:
• Distributor:
  • Channel 4.
• Release Date: 17 August 2022.
• Rating: Unknown.
• Running Time: 90 minutes.
• Country: UK.
• Language: English.

Video Link(s)

Currently unavailable.