6. The Black Consciousness Movement (BCM)

Question 1

What was the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) a broad term for?

Answer 1

The Black Consciousness Movement was a broad term for a number of different organisations which were formed in the early 1970s.

Question 2

What did SASO establish in 1972?

Answer 2

1972, SASO established the Black People’s Convention (BPC) as an umbrella body for organisations with similar views.

Question 3

Provide an example of these ‘umbrella bodies’ and explain what it does?

Answer 3

One of these was the South African Students’ Movement (SASM), which had been formed in Soweto in 1971 by school students. They encouraged students to form Students’ Representative Councils to express their needs and grievances.

Question 4

What did the growth of the trade Union lead to?

Answer 4

The growth of the trade union movement in the early 1970s led to the establishment of the BPC - aligned Black Allied Workers’ Union in 1973.

Question 5

What project did the BPC establish?

Answer 5

The BPC also established the Black Communities Project to organise black self - help schemes such as economic co - operatives, literacy campaigns, health projects and cultural forums. It provided legal advice, and set up clinics and social upliftment projects in disadvantaged communities.

Question 6

True or false, At first, Black Consciousness organisations had a lot of contact with the ANC or PAC in exile.

Answer 6

False, At first Black Consciousness organisations had little contact with the ANC or PAC in exile.

Question 7

What contradicted the Black Consciousness Movement’s position?

Answer 7

The ANC’s confirmation of its non-racial stance at its conference in Tanzania in 1969 contradicted the Black Consciousness Movement’s position

Question 8

What lead to a secret link in the early 1970s?

Answer 8

But there were enough similarities between the two movements for them to set up secret links in the early 1970s.