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Black Consciousness Essay

The document discusses the emergence of Black Consciousness (BC) in the 1970s as a response to the political repression of black South Africans, particularly after the banning of the ANC and PAC. It highlights the role of Steve Biko and the formation of the South African Students Organisation (SASO) and the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) in promoting black pride, unity, and political activism, culminating in the Soweto Uprising of June 16, 1976. The legacy of BC is noted as a significant challenge to the apartheid state, influencing future political movements and social change in South Africa.

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Setjhaba Mthembu MfokaMathaba
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110 views4 pages

Black Consciousness Essay

The document discusses the emergence of Black Consciousness (BC) in the 1970s as a response to the political repression of black South Africans, particularly after the banning of the ANC and PAC. It highlights the role of Steve Biko and the formation of the South African Students Organisation (SASO) and the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) in promoting black pride, unity, and political activism, culminating in the Soweto Uprising of June 16, 1976. The legacy of BC is noted as a significant challenge to the apartheid state, influencing future political movements and social change in South Africa.

Uploaded by

Setjhaba Mthembu MfokaMathaba
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
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The Challenge Of Black Consciousness To The Apartheid State In The 1970s:

Black Consciousness
Vice Biko/ African Teacher
tabhu94@gmail.com
1st Nature and Aims
BC as a philosophy
• BC philosophy arose from the political vacuum created after ANC and PAC political
leaders and parties were banned or imprisoned in 1960s.
• Black Consciousness philosophy did not evolve in Biko’s head but it was part of the
conversations he had with comrades such as Barney Pityana to mention a few. Black
consciousness was an attitude of mind and a way of life.
• BC was heavily influenced by the ideas of Pan-Africanism of Garvey, Sobukwe and
Lembede just as it is that it took upon the teachings of Negritude of Aime Cesaire and
Frantz Fanon which was based on the idea that the oppressed need to liberate their minds
and embrace their own culture and values. Bantu Stephen Biko drew on the ideas of such
movements to form Black Consciousness with the following aims:
• Infused blacks with sense of pride
To accept themselves/have self-confidence/self –reliance/sense of identity
• Empowered blacks to reject the spirit of self-pity; inferiority complex; self-alienation.
• Solidarity among black people

2nd Role of Steve Biko


• In 1965 after matriculating, he went to University of Natal to do Medicine.
• Biko’s political activism led him to join non-racial National Union of South African
Students [NUSAS], but after a conference in Grahamstown, Biko realized that NUSAS
could not promote black interests.
• This happened after black students were given different accommodation than whites and
that they were also not allowed to eat together. The white student therefore failed to apply
non-racial principles.
• In 1968, Biko broke away and founded SASO for black students.
3rd South African Students Organisation [SASO]
• Thus, in 1968, Biko founded South African Students Organisation [SASO] which was a
body of South African students which consisted of blacks, browns, and Indians which
resisted Apartheid through political action.
• SASO spread the BC philosophy across the campuses of ethnic universities such as
University of Fort Hare and University of Zululand to mention a few.
• SASO promoted black unity and solidarity
• Making students politically aware
• SASO was for university students which aimed for psychological liberation as well as
political liberation.

4th Black Consciousness Movement [BCM]


• Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) has its roots in the ethnic universities
• From these campuses, BC ideas spread to rest of South Africa.
• Educated Africans saw themselves as part of the liberation
• Formation of the Black Peoples Convention (BPC) in 1972 as political wing of B.C.M
• BPC aimed at liberating people from both psychological and physical oppression
• The BPC also established the Black Community Project to organize black self-help
schemes such as economic groups, literacy campaigns, health projects and cultural forums.
• One such scheme was the Zanempillo Health Center in King William's Town. It was run
mainly by black people such as Mamphela Ramphela.
• Conscious artists used their music to the benefit of liberation. Mhloti Black Theatre 1971
reflected on Black Condition.

5th South African Student Movement [SASM]


• The South African Students Movement (SASM) an organisation of mainly high school
students was formed in 1972 to represent students, tell grievances
• It came to national prominence when its members organised the boycotts against Bantu
Education of 1953 which offered curriculum for unskilled labour directed to Africans -
Hendrik Verwoerd, the Minister of Native Affairs.
• South African Students Movement formed exposed Blacks learners to the ideals of BC and
formation of Soweto Students Representative Council (SSRC)
• South African Minister of Bantu Education and Development, MC Botha, issued a decree
in 1974 that made the use of Afrikaans as a medium of instruction in Black schools
compulsory from Standard 5 onwards.
• Expulsion of Tiro which led to student protests
• Onkgopotse Abram Tiro moved to Johannesburg and began to teach at the Morris
Isaacson School in Soweto, where he mentored some of the students who would take part
in the organisation of the June 16 uprising, notably Tsietsi Mashinini.
• 13th June 1976 – Orlando Community hall - what is to be done? Resolved on 16 June 1976
protest.

6th Soweto Uprising


• The June 16, 1976, Uprising that began in Soweto and spread countrywide profoundly
changed the political landscape in South Africa.
• The government spent 15 times more on whites than on black school children.
• The schools and equipment of black schools were outdated and of poor quality. They had
no sports facilities, libraries, and science laboratories.
• Bantu Education – Afrikaans as medium of instruction 1974 Mathematics, Geography
amongst the subjects to be taught in Afrikaans
• Dr Verwoerd, who engineered the Bantu Education Act, announced that “Natives (blacks)
must be taught from an early age that equality with Europeans (whites) is not for them”
• 16 of June 1976 students protested peacefully from Soweto schools such as Morris
Isaacson School to Orlando Stadium against Afrikaans and Apartheid.
• Police response to student protests Hasting Ndlovu and Hector Petersen, a 13-year-old boy
were one of the first casualties of this uprising. Nearly 600 died and 100 injured.
• Tsietsi Mashinini fled to Botswana and later went to Guinea till 1990

7th Legacy of Black Consciousness


• Government Perception of BC – was in accordance with Apartheid theories of ‘own affairs’
but later on it posed a challenge to Apartheid
• Debates – Conventional historians – Soweto uprising was motivated by Black
Consciousness – Biko
• Unionism influence on Soweto Students - Mobilised workers to form trade unions - Black
Allied Workers Union (BAWU)
• Political influence of leaders such as Joe Gqabi – Link was not identified – Oliver Tambo
• 12th September 1977 Biko dies in Pretoria – 30 years old.

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