5. The role of Steve Biko: his ideas and writing Flashcards
Where was Steve Biko born?
Steve Biko was born in King William’s Town in the Eastern Cape in 1946. After school he studied medicine at the University of Natal.
Which organisation did he become active in?
While he was there he became active in student politics through the National Union of South African Students (NUSAS).
What organisation did he break away and form?
However, NUSAS was dominated by white liberals, and in 1968 Biko broke away to form SASO, a separate union for black students.
Why did Biko break away from NUSAS?
He believed that blacks should not rely on help from whites (even if they were but should lead their own resistance. This meant rejecting the non-racialism of the ANC and the Freedom Charter against apartheid).
True or false, Biko was influenced by the ideas of a French - speaking writer, Frantz Fanon, who was well - known for his studies on resistance to French rule in Algeria.
True
What did Fanon believe?
In his best known book, The Wretched of the Earth, Fanon examined the economic and psychological effects of imperialism on colonised people. He believed that it was only through violence that colonised people could free themselves from this psychological oppression.
How did Biko apply Fanon’s philosophy to South Africa?
Like Fanon, Biko believed that blacks in South Africa needed to free themselves from the psychological state of being treated as inferior after centuries of colonialism and apartheid. He believed that once blacks had liberated themselves in this way, and gained psychological, physical and political power, then non-racial organisations would be able to operate properly
Biko believed that all those classified as ‘________’ by the apartheid government (including Indians and coloureds) should see themselves as ‘_____’ and that this would be the first step towards their _________.
‘non - white’.
‘black’.
liberation.
How did he see Black Consciousness?
However, he did not see Black Consciousness as black racism, and did not call for revenge on white society. He saw it instead as a means of creating a sense of solidarity and pride in black South Africans.
