Stephen Bantu Biko
Stephen Biko is known internationally as the founder of the South
African Students' Organization (SASO), and a leading force in the South Africa
Black Consciousness movement. He fought against the separation between black and whites, called apartheid (the Afrikaans term for separateness). His childhood experiences and character, lead him to became a powerful leader.
Steve Biko was born on December 18, 1946, in King William's Town, South
Africa. He father was a clerk and his mother was a housemaid. Following the
Sharpeville massacre in 1960, Biko was just 17 years old when he became a political activist. He started to become active when he got expelled from
Lovedale High School and his brother was arrested in a nationwide police crackdown on political activists. He ended up graduating in 1966 at a boarding school in Natal named St. Francis College.
By then, his mind and character were those of a leader. He had a quick brain with huge mental force and ideas. He had the gift to cut through to the core of a problem and find the best solution. "His mind was a tool to chisel out sense and truth and order" (Woods 78). Biko was thoughtful, sensitive and had a good sense of humor. He was motivated by the search for good and truth.
At the University of Natal Medicine in 1968, he became involved in the multiracial National Union of South African Students. He was known by peers and adults as a student leader This organization fought for black rights, except he claimed that, "the white [were] doing all the talking and the blacks listening"
(Biko 210). Biko wanted the blacks to have as much say and participation as the whites, so in 1968 he became the co-founder and first president of he South
African Students' Organization (SASO). This was an all-black organization, which aim was to raise self respect and reliance to all blacks. He said, "Black liberation starts with psychological self reliance. This can only be initiated in isolation from allies whose good intentions are an obstacle to such self- realization" (Woods 63). This organization helped the foundation of another movement and convention, known as the South African Students' Movement, and the
Black Peoples' Convention (BPC). This movement also became known as the Black
Consciousness Movement. The movements he founded were headed towards students, because they were the ones that might change their minds, unlike the older people, who have already made up their minds. He published Black Review, which was a political journal for the black community. These movements and publications raised so much controversy that the black man is as worthy as any
He was taught at an early age to think about others and to care for the needs of those around him.
can be traced by to his grandmother who provided him with a powerful moral and
believe that he was a man of high moral standards, in fact higher than most of
that ll the power was contained in himself. So he did a very clever thing, he took
vision of the wisdom inherent in the earth that would direct him toward his true
...to be equally educated. His speeches not only attracted the black people but also, northern and southern white people. Booker worked hard for all that he achieved during his life time. People all over were followers of Booker T. Washington. One example of how much these followers appreciated Washington is through raising money for a trip to Europe. Not just anyone went to Europe in those days. The trip showed how much the people appreciated Booker’s efforts for civil rights and education of blacks. They sent
speech, he made it known clearly, his detestment for the treatment of Black slaves of the
He recognized the black people who were dominants of the South. His leadership strategies were aimed at bringing all southern states as one nation without oppressing blacks and therefore upbringing the black supremacy (Foner Par 2).
...rned the essential plans that a leader would need to lead him troops. He also had the morale and spirits to keep the troops ready to fight for the freedom they wanted, as well as his ability to command such troops in placement and tactics.
Muhammad. He stated that his mission was to take "the black nation to the full range of
he expressed in the following quote from “The Case of the Negro”; “…the idea should not be to
... no means of escaping their poverty. Black Nationalism provided cultural enrichment, social uplift, and political literacy to a group of people who had been cast aside and forgotten. Although, it is often remember as a belief system obscured by turmoil and dissidence, Black Nationalism, at its heart was created as a means of community outreach and support. Van Horne writes, “Black power is thus a most beautiful concept,” he continues by saying, “the ultimate values and goals [of Black Power] are not domination or exploitation of other groups, but rather an effective share in the total power of the society [since] there can be no social order without social justice,” (Vanhorne 374). Those who argue that Black Nationalism is at its root evil, have done themselves a great disservice in failing to see the underlying inclusiveness of this great sociopolitical movement.
In his speech, he proclaimed a free and better nation of equality and that both races, the blacks and the whites, should join together to achieve common ground and to support each other instead of fighting against one another. King’s vision is that all people should be judged by their “personality and character and not by their color of skin”(‘I Have a Dream”). All points he made in his speech were so strong that lots of people were interested in his thoughts. He dreamed of a land where the blacks could vote and have a reason to vote and where every citizen would be treated the same and with the same justice. He felt that all Americans should be equal and that they should forget about injustice and segregation. He wanted America to know what the problems were and wanted to point out the way to resolve these problems.
Washington 's programme naturally takes an economic cast” (Du Bois). Du Bois believed that Washington’s theory was a gospel of Work and Money that ultimately overshadowed the higher aims of life” Later he makes another statement so powerful that should have made all African Americans want to stand up and fight for a better social status and rights for both the South and North. He goes on stating “The growing spirit of kindliness and reconciliation between the North and South after the frightful differences of a generation ago ought to be a source of deep congratulation to all, and especially to those whose mistreatment caused the war; but if that reconciliation is to be marked by the industrial slavery and civic death of those same black men, with permanent legislation into a position of inferiority, then those black men, if they are really men, are called upon by every consideration of patriotism and loyalty to oppose such a course by all civilized methods, even though such opposition involves disagreement with Mr. Booker T. Washington.” (Du
Assuredly, the purpose of this speech was to enlighten the minds of many Black Americans and engaged them in the fight for the civil rights. They now understand the situation at hand based on the vivid details expressed by X in his speech. As a result of X speaking up for the nation of blacks, he instilled the idea that African Americans should vote and become more politically active, by this motivation, he has established a new philosophy in the minds of the Black Americans, that being to seek equality.