On this day, 26 June 1952, Black feminist and squatting activist, Olive Morris was born in Harewood, Jamaica. Moving to London with her family, she became a founding member of the Organisation of Women of African and Asian Descent (OWAAD), established the Brixton Black Women’s Group, was a member of the British Black Panther Movement, and helped found the Manchester Black Women’s Cooperative and Manchester Black Women’s Mutual Aid Group.
Morris was one of the first to squat at 121 Railton Road, Brixton London, an address which subsequently housed a range of community and political groups until the 1990s. She also wrote many articles, about topics like Black and Asian workers’ struggles, and critiques of strains of anti-fascism which ignored institutional, state and police racism.
Morris was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and died shortly after in 1979, aged just 27. Emma Allotey later recalled: “Her premature death was a shock to the community. A Lambeth council building, 18 Brixton Hill, was named after her in March 1986. There is a community garden and play area named after her in the Myatt’s Fields area. In 2009, Olive was chosen by popular vote as one of the historical figures to feature on a local currency, the Brixton Pound.”
Here is a brief biography: http://libcom.org/history/morris-olive-elaine-1952-1979 https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/1747483158770160/?type=3
hopefilled reblogged this from workingclasshistory demshadynegroes reblogged this from gotukolachampagne
bhonn4eus liked this
badji-tde liked this
randomcreek liked this
ourvisiontouchedthesky liked this stevishabitat reblogged this from workingclasshistory
thottybrucewayne reblogged this from gotukolachampagne
thottybrucewayne liked this gotukolachampagne reblogged this from spacesapphist
jamin1666 liked this solmanath liked this
randomspection liked this
cyclicaloblivion reblogged this from workingclasshistory akmethings liked this
durutti1896 liked this
den1990 reblogged this from workingclasshistory
clearsweeper liked this sewingmachine2 liked this
massivelimestonecube liked this
touchhorse reblogged this from workingclasshistory
silentlanguagephotography liked this cutezalcoatl liked this
alilwomanish reblogged this from workingclasshistory
alilwomanish liked this
mightyqueerskies reblogged this from workingclasshistory
cosmiqrxse liked this
radioblueheart reblogged this from workingclasshistory
radioblueheart liked this
prometheanvisions reblogged this from workingclasshistory
prometheanvisions liked this
astraveler liked this
camarada-carapulcra reblogged this from workingclasshistory ghosts-in-this-machine reblogged this from workingclasshistory
cup-of-red-tea reblogged this from workingclasshistory
cup-of-red-tea liked this
fyurama reblogged this from workingclasshistory
fyurama liked this
maggishiani reblogged this from midorree
otterfire liked this
ekebolou reblogged this from workingclasshistory
ekebolou liked this
wxtchgxrl reblogged this from workingclasshistory
ahhhh-i-cant liked this tetrachlorobenzene liked this
workingclasshistory posted this
- Show more notes
