Liz Obi Explained

Elizabeth Obi is a British activist who was involved in the feminist, black nationalist, and squatters' rights campaigns of the 1970s. A close friend of Olive Morris, in 2009 she founded the Remembering Olive Collective, which researches and documents Morris's life.

Life

Obi was close friends with fellow activist Olive Morris and, in 1972, they attempted to visit Eldridge Cleaver in Algeria, but only made it as far as Morocco.^[1] They joined the British Black Panthers together and met other young black feminists and black nationalists such as Jackie Blake, Geneva DaCosta and Stella Dadzie.^[2] Also in 1972, the two women squatted a privately-owned property above a laundrette at 121 Railton Road in Brixton. Morris and Obi then moved on to another squat at 65 Railton Road.^[3] The 121 squat became the 121 Centre and continued to be occupied until 1999.^[4] Together with Beverley Bryan, Obi and Morris established the Brixton Black Women's Group (BBWG) in 1973.^[5]

In 2008, Obi set up the Remembering Olive Collective (ROC) in tandem with Ana Laura Lopez de la Torre, intending to commemorate the life of Olive Morris.^[6]

In 2015, Obi took part in the conference "Black British Feminism: Past, Present and Futures" at the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton organised by a new generation of Black British feminists such as Chardine Taylor-Stone and others.^{[7] [8]}

Notes and References

1. Allotey. Emma. Morris, Olive Elaine (1952–1979) . 24 May 2012. 10.1093/ref:odnb/100963. 978-0-19-861412-8. en.
2. Book: Ford . Tanisha C. . Tanisha C. Ford. Kelley . R. . Robin D. G. Kelley. Stephen Tuck . The Other Special Relationship: Race, Rights, and Riots in Britain and the United States . 22 February 2016 . Springer . 978-1-137-39270-1 . 212 . en . Violence at Desmond's Hip City: Gender and Soul Power in London.
3. Bettocchi . Milo . 2021 . Fairies, Feminists & Queer Anarchists: Geographies of Squatting in Brixton . University of Nottingham .
4. Book: Revolutionary women: A book of stencils. 2010. PM Press. Queen of the Neighbourhood Collective.. 9781604864649. Oakland, CA. 700457644.
5. Web site: Akpan . Paula . Why the teaching of Black British history must be transformed in our schools . Good Housekeeping . 23 November 2022 . 1 September 2020.
6. Longley . Oumou . Olive and me in the archive: a Black British woman in an archival space . Feminist Review . November 2021 . 129 . 1 . 123–137 . 10.1177/01417789211041898 . 244348631 . en . 0141-7789.
7. Web site: 14 March 2015 12:00 ~ Black British Feminism: Past, Present and Futures – Black Cultural Archives – London womensgrid – women's news . 2022-12-16 . www.womensgrid.org.uk. 19 February 2015.
8. Web site: Siana. Bangura . 2015-03-13 . I too am Black and a Feminist: On the importance of Black British Feminism . 2022-12-16 . Media Diversified . en.