Lionel Morrison

Lionel Morrison OBE (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.

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. An honorary member and life member of the NUJ, he was awarded an OBE in 2000.

He died on 31 October 2016.