Clovis Salmon, pioneering Black British documentarian, dies at 98

Clovis Salmon, a self-taught documentary filmmaker known as 'Sam the Wheels', has passed away. He gained recognition for filming the 1981 Brixton riots with a Super-8 camera hidden in his coat, capturing police brutality and racism against the South London Black community. His footage became a primary source for numerous documentaries and films, influencing race relations in the UK. Salmon arrived in Britain from Jamaica in 1954 as part of the Windrush generation, responding to calls for postwar reconstruction. He worked as a bike repairman at Holdsworth Cycles after running his own bike shop in Jamaica. Additionally, he served as a part-time Pentecostal preacher, documenting church services and local events. His death marks the loss of a key chronicler of Black British experiences.