Topic 3 EQ1: What was Black Consciousness and how did it influence the Soweto Uprising? Flashcards
STEVE BIKO AND SASO
What 2 conflicting things did the Extension of University Education Act 1959 do?
designed to cut down the African elite’s aspirations to join common society
also greatly extended HE for black people
STEVE BIKO AND SASO
What were 3 things the NP realised about black education?
- whites could not provide all skills for economic development
- new homelands needed groups of professional and officials if to ever function as self-governing
- needed to create ethnically specific unis
STEVE BIKO AND SASO
What uni became a melting pot linguistically, ethnically, and politically? What 2 radical ideas met there?
Uni of Turfloop
radical Christian and black American ideas
STEVE BIKO AND SASO
In the 1960s, what proportion of African people professed Christianity?
2/3
STEVE BIKO AND SASO
What successes drifted back to the students through newspapers, books and talks?
North American civil rights successes
STEVE BIKO AND SASO
Where did Biko get educated? Who did he read a lot of?
medical school of Uni of Natal’s (segregated)
Malcolm and MLK
STEVE BIKO AND SASO
What year did Bike set up SASO (SA Students’ Organisation)? And for what purpose? What column in the student newspaper did he write under?
1969
for people to feel pride in their ethnicity and protest their conditions
‘Frank Talk’
STEVE BIKO AND SASO
When was Biko thrown out of Natal Uni?
1972
neglecting his studies to become a powerful speaker
STEVE BIKO AND SASO
When did the Soweto Uprising happen? How was Biko involved in this?
1976
Biko had no contact with the pupils
but students were inspired by his ideas
STEVE BIKO AND SASO
What was Biko’s punishment after his original arrest in 1973? Why was Biko finally arrested in 1977? What happened while he was in prison?
banning order
defying banning order
naked and chained to a grille
beaten
tipped into the back of a Land Rover and driven to hospital where he died at 30
STEVE BIKO AND SASO
What were 2 community projects Biko was involved in?
set up health centre called Zanenphilo
set up Njwaxa (a cottage industry in which unemployed blacks produced leather goods)
STEVE BIKO AND SASO
What links Biko to black consciousness?
- new phase of SA resistance that took up Africanist ideas from PAC and ANCYL
- included liberation theology
- Biko began to call their views and movements ‘black consciousness’
STEVE BIKO AND SASO
What is liberation theology?
religion can be used to take a leading role in struggles against social and political suppression
BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS
What was the definition of black consciousness?
awareness of one’s identity as a black person
esp. as a basis for political grouping and movements
BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS
What 3 roles did black consciousness play in the mobilisation of the young?
- educated
- inspired
- mobilised
BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS
What 3 ways did the SASO organise a strong black presence at unis (Durban and Western cape e.g.)?
- influecning and controllong Student Representative Councils
- used end of Mozambique colonial rule in 1974 to stage mass protests
- leadership moved from ideological mobilisation to direct confrontation
BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS
At Turfloop, they organised a rally for the end of the Mozambique colonial rule. How many attended, how did the police react and what did the Africans sing?
1200 attended
police arrived to break it up
700 congregated and sung ANC anthem Nkosi Sikelel iAfrika (God bless Africa)
BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS
What did the Durban students do for the Mozambique rallies? Where? Ignoring what?
SASO staged a march and rally
at a public stadium
ignored a gov ban
BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS
In 1972, what movement and what convention was launched?
Black Consciousness Movement
Black People’s Convention
BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS
What was a small similarity between black consciousness and historical Africanist organisations? But what were leaders careful to do with this?
they both drew on the Africanist heritage of the PAC
distance themselves from direct connection with banned orgs
BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS
What are 4 key differences between the previous Africanist movements and black consciousness?
- PAC movement largely of migrant workers while BC was mainly youth and students
- BC did not look to the rest of Africa for its inspiration (their independence had given way to one-party states and dictators)
- BC did not focus on African tradition
- BC directly attack idea of homelands
BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS
Turfloop was particularly important. What 3 reasons show student president Abraham Tiro’s speech in 1972 so important?
- he was a Christian, inspired by BC
- not radical
- in front of white assembly
BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS
What 3 things did Tiro attack the uni of Turfloop for?
- poor facilities
- discrimination against African staff
- inequalities of SA generally
BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS
What happened to Tiro after his speech?
he was expelled
he began found a post teaching at Morris Isaacson High School in Soweto
BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS
What secondary branch had students at Turfloop created? What was this organisation?
SASM
SA Students’ Movement
BC organisation in the schools
BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS
What BC sponsored newspaper provided an important vehicle for political ideas? What are 2 reasons why?
The World in Soweto
- growing literacy among African youth
- increase coverage (did not direct promoting) of emerging BC politics
BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS
What decision related to SASO was made by government in March 1973? Why?
banning orders against most prominent leaders (Biko, Tiro)
it was becoming too dangerous
BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS
Why had the gov had a degree of tolerance for SASO in its earlier years?
it seemed to have potential for reinforcing apartheid
BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS
What was the SASO’s defendant’s called in their 1975 trial under Terrorism Act? What are 3 ways the SASO 9 able to secure a high profile for their ideas?
SASO 9
- were not illegal so press were free to quote them
- sang freedom songs and raise clenched fists in courtrooms
- Biko gave evidence for defence and outlined the philosophy of BC
MOBILISATION OF SCHOOL CHILDREN
In 1975, where was the momentum of protest shifting to?
schools
MOBILISATION OF SCHOOL CHILDREN
What statistics indicate schools were expanding quickly at this time
1950-1975: no. of African children at school increased from 1 million to 3.5 million+
Soweto: 1972-1976 - high school numbers increased from 12,600 to 34,000
MOBILISATION OF SCHOOL CHILDREN
Why had Bantu education become sites of deprivation and explosive political potential?
the growth in African school children put pressure on building and teaching staff
classes of over 60
BC was a highly new and fashionable language geared to teh youth
MOBILISATION OF SCHOOL CHILDREN
Why did the BC give students a stronger sense of identity than tsotsis?
they had to confront the everyday reality that gangs dominated the streets.
e.g. it divided them as some were fighting the gov and some were against the gangs