Born: 1952 (Harewood, St Catherine, Jamaica)
Died: 1979
Biography:
Olive Elaine Morris was a Jamaican-born British-based community leader and activist in the feminist, black nationalist, and squatters’ rights campaigns of the 1970s. Born on June 26, 1952, in Harewood, St Catherine, Jamaica, Olive Morris grew up in a working-class family. Her parents, Vincent Nathaniel Morris and Doris Lowena (née Moseley), moved to England, and Olive followed them to South London at the age of nine.
Morris faced adversity from a young age, growing up in a racially segregated society in Britain. Her father worked as a forklift driver, and her mother worked in factories to support the family. Despite facing economic and social challenges, Morris showed resilience and determination in pursuing her education.
She attended Heathbrook Primary School, Lavender Hill Girls’ Secondary School, and Dick Sheppard School in Tulse Hill. However, she left school without formal qualifications. Undeterred, Morris later studied for O-Levels and A-levels and attended a class at the London College of Printing (now named the London College of Communication).
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Morris became deeply involved in the black British activism that emerged during that period. Inspired by the multi-ethnic political discussions surrounding black nationalism, classism, and imperialism in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean, as well as in the United Kingdom, Morris sought to find her own identity while helping her community.
At the age of 17, Morris claimed she was assaulted by Metropolitan Police officers following an incident involving a Nigerian diplomat in Brixton, South London. This incident fueled her determination to fight against racial injustice and police brutality. She joined the British Black Panthers, becoming a Marxist–Leninist communist and a radical feminist.
Morris took part in the squatting movement, occupying buildings on Railton Road in Brixton. She played a key role in establishing Sabarr Books, a black community bookstore, and later the 121 Centre, which became a hub for various activist organizations. Another squatted building served as the offices for the Race Today collective, a prominent black British political and cultural journal.
Driven by her commitment to uplifting black women, Morris co-founded the Brixton Black Women’s Group and the Organization of Women of African and Asian Descent in London. She played an instrumental role in organizing the Black Women’s Movement in the United Kingdom.
Morris’s activism extended beyond Brixton. While studying at the Victoria University of Manchester, she remained involved in the Manchester Black Women’s Cooperative. She also traveled to China with the Society for Anglo-Chinese Understanding, expanding her perspective on global solidarity and liberation struggles.
After graduating, Morris returned to Brixton and worked at the Brixton Community Law Centre, advocating for the rights of marginalized communities. However, tragedy struck when she became ill and received a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Despite her illness, she continued to fight for justice until her untimely death at the age of 27 on July 12, 1979.
Olive Morris’s life and work have been commemorated by official organizations, including Lambeth Council, which named a building after her. Her legacy also lives on through the Remembering Olive Collective (ROC), an activist group dedicated to preserving her memory and continuing the fight against oppression.
Remembered as fearless and dedicated, Olive Morris remains an inspirational figure in black British history. Her portrait even graced the B£1 note of the Brixton Pound, a local currency promoting local trade and community empowerment. Olive Morris’s contributions to black feminism, anti-racism, and social justice continue to inspire future generations.