ACTIVIST OLIVE Morris is being celebrated with a Google Doodle on what would have been her 68th birthday.

Morris is widely recognised for her fight against racial discrimination and gender inequality in the UK throughout the 1970s.

Born in Jamaica, she moved to London with her family when she was nine.

A pivotal moment in her life of activism came at the age of 17, after she witnessed the arrest of a Nigerian diplomat whom police had stopped after he parked his Mercedes in Brixton.

Thinking he had stolen the car, police began to beat the man, however a teenage Morris stepped in and attempted to stop the attack, prompting the police to arrest and assault her.

The incident ignited Morris’ determination to fight systemic racism, and she joined Black Panthers’ Youth Collective in 1968.

The activist organised and led many demonstrations, calling not only for justice for people of colour, but for gender equality and squatters’ rights too.

In 1973, she helped found the 121 Railton Road squat, which became a hub for political activism and offered a space for communities to gather.

The following year she formed the Brixton Black Women’s Group – one of the country’s first networks for black women.

Despite leaving school with no qualifications, Morris enrolled at Manchester University in 1975, and earned a degree in social sciences.

She travelled across the world extensively — to countries including China, Algeria and Spain — to learn more about different cultures, and help shape her activism efforts.

In 1978, she co-founded the Organisation of Women of Asian and African Descent, a group considered instrumental in rallying movements for change.

Morris died from cancer at the age of 27 in 1979, yet the remarkable woman achieved a tremendous amount in her lifetime.

The Goodle Doodle features a mural of her face painted on a wall on Railton Road in Lambeth, surrounded by members of the community.

It was created by Matt Cruickshank who said: “Olive’s activism took place nearly 50 years ago. 

“My hope is that real, positive change will occur in our current context, and that Olive is remembered as a vital influence in this ongoing fight for equality and justice for all.”