Join our virtual Community Conversation with our trainee Community Archivists centring around Olive Morris. Come and share your stories, and opinions.

Who was Olive Morris?

Olive Morris (June 23, 1952- July 12, 1979) was born in Jamaica, where she lived for 9 years with her maternal Grandmother. In 1961 her parents decided to move Olive and her siblings to South London, Brixton, for better employment prospects. Olive Morris was interested in racial justice (growing up around a lot of racial tension in Britain, particularly Brixton) she became increasingly interested in squatters’ rights and women’s struggles that were side-lined in a male-dominated Black liberation struggle. Olive joined the British Black panther youth movement. Her activism resulted in a three-month suspended sentence in 1969.

Olive Morris went on to set up the Brixton Black Women’s Group with other women who had joined the British Black Panthers. The group met in Olives and shared a squat with Liz Obi where she created a library. The location of the meeting was symbolic in speaking against the harassment and discrimination of squatters. The BBWO later became the Black women’s Centre. Olive further went on to fight for other liberation struggles (i.e. education, healthcare, housing, etc) which affected the Black community.