Michael Dixon, younger brother of Aaron and Elmer Dixon, was born in Illinois and grew up in Seattle's Central District. His father worked at Boeing, and both parents taught the Dixon brothers the importance of fighting for social justice. Michael Dixon was a sophomore at Garfield High School when the Seattle chapter of the Black Panther Party was formed by Aaron and Elmer Dixon and others in 1968. Michael followed his brothers into the Black Panther Party, and helped start the Black Student Union (BSU) at Garfield. Dixon attended the University of Washington, where he was active in the BSU, and continued to work with the Black Panther Party.

After college, Michael Dixon continued to work for the betterment of Black youth, including serving as a security monitor at Franklin High School, and later, Garfield encountered near the school gym during class time.