George jackson death photo

Having moved to London from Jamaica in the early 1960s, photographer Dennis Morris went on to document the mounting black consciousness and political activism in Britain during the 1970s. His personal photographs, since published together as the series Growing Up Black, include depictions of historic events relating to international racial politics. Morris felt the demonstrations in London following the controversial death of the African American prisoner and activist, George Jackson (1941-1971) were a key contributor to the ‘feeling of black consciousness’ at the time. They also reflect the wide ranging support for Jackson as a black political figure; continuing his challenge to racial injustice.

The V&A acquired ten photographs by Dennis Morris as part of the Staying Power project. Staying Power is a five year partnership between the V&A and Black Cultural Archives. The project aims to explore black British experience from the 1950s to the 1990s th