Siddhesh Joshi (Editor)

Lionel Morrison

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Name
  
Lionel Morrison


Role
  
Journalist

Lionel Morrison wwwvoiceonlinecouksitesdefaultfilesMorriso

Books
  
A Century of Black Journalism in Britain: A Kaleidoscopic View of Race and the Media (1893-2003)

Lionel Morrison - Black History Month


Lionel Morrison OBE (13 October 1935 – 31 October 2016) was a South African-born British journalist, and a former president of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ). He was the first black journalist to hold that office.

Contents

Lionel morrison interview being awarded an obe


Biography

Morrison, whose grandfather came from Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, was born and spent his early life in South Africa, where he set up a multiracial journalists' union in the 1950s in opposition to the apartheid regime. He was arrested for treason in 1956.

Having moved to the UK in 1960, Morrison became a member of the NUJ's National Executive Council in 1971, and its president in 1973. Much of his life's work focused on increasing black participation in unionism and journalism, and countering racial discrimination. In the 1970s, finding it difficult to find employment in Britain as a black journalist, Morrison was involved in setting up some of the country's first black newspapers such as The Voice and The West Indian World. Along with fellow journalist Syd Burke, he also helped to establish journalism courses and further education colleges across London. Morrison was the Principal Information Officer of the Commission for Racial Equality in the 1970s and 1980s. He later became Vice-President and Chair of Notting Hill Housing Trust. An honorary member and life member of the NUJ, he was awarded an OBE in 2000.

He died on 31 October 2016 and is survived by his wife, two sons, grandson and granddaughter.

Publications

  • As They See it: A Race Relations Study of Three Areas from a Black Viewpoint, Community Relations Commission, 1976
  • Arts Education in a Multicultural Society, Commission for Racial Equality, 1981 (with Irene Staunton and Tania Rose)
  • A Century of Black Journalism in Britain: A Kaleidoscopic View of Race and the Media (1893–2003), Truebay Limited, 2007, ISBN 978-0-9555540-0-1
  • References

    Lionel Morrison Wikipedia