Dennis Morris' photos of growing up black in Britain in the 1960's-70's

Growing Up Black

Forty years after being told that he would never make it as a photographer, Dennis Morris has published a book documenting black British life in London in the 70s

The Observer, Sunday 25 March 2012

Soul Sister, Hackney, 1974. "I was taking photographs at a pivotal time for black people in Britain, politically and culturally," says Dennis Morris. "Suddenly we weren’t coloured people any more – we were black. It was a question of pride and of self-definition."Photograph: Dennis Morris

Anti-apartheid demonstration. Trafalgar Square, 1971. "I see it now as a pioneering time, a time of great struggle and change."Photograph: Dennis Morris

Anti-apartheid demonstration. Trafalgar Square, 1971Photograph: Dennis Morris

Riding into the world. Hackney, 1976Photograph: Dennis Morris

Shiloh Church Congregation. Dalston, Hackney, 1971. "Despite all the changes, the churches are still going strong. They give people a sense of hope and a sense of community." Photograph: Dennis Morris

Devilish Angels. Hackney, 1969 "The vicar was a strict disciplinarian. And the West Indian parents loved him for it. He ran the choir like a public school and dressed us up like little toffs in Eton suits."Photograph: Dennis Morris

A young gun in 1969. "We took a lot of stick from the other kids around here, but we were tough street kids and we gave as good as we got."Photograph: Dennis Morris

A member of Dalston Boys’ Club on Downs Park Road, Hackney in 1975Photograph: Dennis Morris

Blues Dance Queens. Hackney, 1975 Photograph: Dennis Morris

Wedding. Town Hall, Mare Street, Hackney 1971. "Man, that was a real big thing," Morris recalls. "I knew a few black guys who had married white women, but this was the first time I saw a wedding between a white man and a black woman."Photograph: Dennis Morris

Wedding. Town Hall, Mare Street, Hackney, 1971. "I remember a certain tension in the church, mainly coming off the in-laws. You can feel that tension in the photographs. It was moving, though. I felt they were very brave people, the bride and groom. Pioneers."Photograph: Dennis Morris

Dennis Morris, self-portrait in 1973, when his career as a music photographer was just beginning. At 16, his career adviser told him: "There’s no such thing as a black photographer."Photograph: Dennis Morris

Admiral Ken with his Box Men. Hackney, 1973. "The church, reggae, radical politics, the neighbourhood and street life. In a way, photography was my life and my life is there in the photographs I took. I was always recording my experience with the camera."Photograph: Dennis Morris

Car Boot Conversation. Hackney, 1976. “So much has changed but it’s still the same vibe on the street, still the same mixture of people, though it’s a lot more trendy these days.”Photograph: Dennis Morris

Count Shelly Sounds. Hackney, 1973Photograph: Dennis Morris

Living the Dream. Hackney, 1975Photograph: Dennis Morris

Growing Up Black by Dennis Morris
A Chronicle of Black Britain in the 60s and 70s
Published March 2012 by Autograph ABPPhotograph: Dennis Morris