Stephen Bantu Biko: The Road Toward Emancipation

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Jun 25, 2019

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“This is the first truth, bitter as it may seem, that we have to acknowledge before we can start on any programme designed to change the status quo. It becomes more necessary to see the truth as it is if you realise that the only vehicle for change are these people who have lost their personality. The first step therefore is to make the black man come to himself; to pump back life into his empty shell; to infuse him with pride and dignity, to remind him of his complicity in the crime of allowing himself to be misused and therefore letting evil reign supreme in the country of his birth. This is what we mean by an inward-looking process. This is the definition of “Black Consciousness” – Steve Biko, We Blacks, 1984.

Today, we recognize South African anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko, who encouraged a mindset shift, promoting the idea that black is beautiful and that Black people should view themselves as human beings. By rejecting white dominance and empowering Black South Africans to embrace their humanity, Biko became a threat. His resistance and emphasis on decolonizing the mind is relevant today.

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