What Was Black Consciousness And How Did It Influence The Soweto Uprising? Flashcards
Biko quote
‘Black people must refuse to be pawns in a white man’s game’
What was ‘Bantu Education’ designed to do?
Cut down elite aspirations but also provide educational opportunity to BSA
Uni act
Extension of University Education Act 1959
What were the aims of African higher education in the 1960s?
Create ethically specific unis to encourage African language, whites couldn’t provide all skills, homelands would require officials and professionals
Effects of African higher education in the 1960s
After 1959 act, Africans wanted to go to uni
uni of the North (Turfloop)
HE provisions provisions for BSA in regions expanded
Became increasingly politicised
Many Christian students
Would hear slogans through news, books and talks or opinions of North CRights, hear of Black Power and MLK
Bobby Kennedy invited by NUSAS
Turfloop
Seeking uni education from populations in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Witwelsrand townships amongst others
Became linguistic, ethnic and political melting pot
Attracted families with connections to ANC and PAC
Steve Biko and SASO
Took up Africanist ideas, black and liberation theology
Would lead themselves
Was medical student at uni of natal
Attended NUSAS and Uni Christian Movt
Formation of a separate black student movt as uni refuse to use facilities equally
Black consciousness and links to education
More of an intellectual orientation than organised political movt
Self defined
Black unis such as Turfloop and Fort Hare produced activists
Apartheid unis provide opportunity of political mobilisation as no interaction with WSA
SASO in the 1970s
Despite some leaders being detained, able to maintain strong presence
Mass protests against colonial rule in Mozambique 1974
Mozambique Liberation Front fighting armed struggle since 1964
Durban March and rally at public stadium against govt ban
Turfloop March
Organise 1,200 rally- confronting police with ‘freedom’ chant
700 congregate on sports ground to sing ANC anthem
BC movt and Black People’s Convention
Both launched by 1972
Drew on Africanist heritage of PAC, careful to distance (banned)
Growing literacy provides vehicle for political ideas
Differences of BC and others
PAC movt largely of migrants and BC more youths
BC looked to future
Student action
Tiro, Turfloop student president made speech in 1963; stinging attack in Uni authorities, expelled following
Found teaching post at Morris Isaacson High School, Soweto with SASM and BC organisations in schools
Tiro acts as SASO representative and teacher
Largely focused on education but launched community organisations
1973 banning orders
To leaders such as Biko
Tiro dismissed from teaching
Banning of SASO leaders and Biko
Initially had govt permission as BC seemed to strengthen apartheid
Subsequent 1975 trial under Terrorism Act- SASO 9 secure high profile case
As not an illegal organisation- could be quoted, sang freedom songs, raised fist in courtroom, Biko talks of BC philosophy when giving evidence
