Stephen Bantu Biko was born in Qonce (in English, known as King Williams Town) in what was then called the Ciskei Bantustan, one of the few tiny tiny areas of South Africa where black people were allowed to own land.
Without going into a lot of details, his memory has been heavily appropriated by the mainstream anti-apartheid movement because it suited their cause, but Biko was not a fan of the ANC and did not agree with many of their strategies or policies.
Biko was picked up by the police on his way back to Qonce after visiting Cape Town to speak with Neville Alexander, another famous anti-apartheid activitist and Robben Island detainee.
He is the father of the Black Conciousness Movement and his most influential work is a collection of his essays entitled "I Write What I Like" in which he pulls no punches in calling out race and power and how that power is abused. He most famously said "The greatest weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed." His words still ring true today: that until black people can convince themselves of their equality psychologically, they will forever be shackled to the inferior image of themselves handed to them by their white masters. Economic and political freedom may come, but it will not be true freedom until the black man has psychological freedom for himself.
Young South Africans are looking again to Biko's words in the 21st century as they find themselves disillusioned with where the ANC has brought them.
Watch this video clip of an interview with Biko: his frustration with the interviewer is palpable as they clearly are not understanding. In his utopia, in his vision, minorities would not have to be concerned for their rights or their cultures... because there wouldn't be such a thing as 'minority'.
Stephen Bantu Biko was born in Qonce (in English, known as King Williams Town) in what was then called the Ciskei Bantustan, one of the few tiny tiny areas of South Africa where black people were allowed to own land.
Without going into a lot of details, his memory has been heavily appropriated by the mainstream anti-apartheid movement because it suited their cause, but Biko was not a fan of the ANC and did not agree with many of their strategies or policies.
Biko was picked up by the police on his way back to Qonce after visiting Cape Town to speak with Neville Alexander, another famous anti-apartheid activitist and Robben Island detainee.
He is the father of the Black Conciousness Movement and his most influential work is a collection of his essays entitled "I Write What I Like" in which he pulls no punches in calling out race and power and how that power is abused. He most famously said "The greatest weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed." His words still ring true today: that until black people can convince themselves of their equality psychologically, they will forever be shackled to the inferior image of themselves handed to them by their white masters. Economic and political freedom may come, but it will not be true freedom until the black man has psychological freedom for himself.
Young South Africans are looking again to Biko's words in the 21st century as they find themselves disillusioned with where the ANC has brought them.
Watch this video clip of an interview with Biko: his frustration with the interviewer is palpable as they clearly are not understanding. In his utopia, in his vision, minorities would not have to be concerned for their rights or their cultures... because there wouldn't be such a thing as 'minority'.
youtube.com/watch
A beautiful vision indeed.