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HSTORY T2 Gr. 12 Black Consciousness Essay

Grade 12: The Challenge of Black Consciousness to the Apartheid State (Essay) PPT

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Steve Biko and the Black Consciousness Movement Grade 12 Essay Guide (Question and Answers)

Black Consciousness Movement Grade 12 Essay Guide (Question and Answers)

Black Consciousness Movement Grade 12 Essay Guide (Question and Answers) and Summary: The Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) was a grassroots anti-Apartheid activist movement that emerged in South Africa in the mid-1960s out of the political vacuum created by the jailing and banning of the African National Congress and Pan Africanist Congress leadership after the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960.

Table of Contents

Steve Biko and the Black Consciousness Movement Summary: A Legacy of Empowerment and Resistance

Stephen Bantu Biko , born in 1946 in South Africa, was a prominent anti-apartheid activist and leader of the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) . The movement played a crucial role in the fight against apartheid by empowering black South Africans to embrace their identity, instilling pride and self-worth, and promoting resistance against the oppressive regime. This article will discuss Biko’s life, the origins and objectives of the Black Consciousness Movement, and the lasting impact of Biko’s ideas on South Africa and beyond.

Early Life and Influences

Steve Biko grew up in a society deeply divided along racial lines. From an early age, he was exposed to the harsh realities of apartheid, which inspired his lifelong commitment to fighting against racial oppression. As a student at Lovedale High School , Biko encountered the writings of Frantz Fanon , a psychiatrist and philosopher from Martinique who advocated for the liberation of colonized peoples through mental emancipation. Fanon’s ideas influenced Biko’s development of the Black Consciousness philosophy.

Formation of the Black Consciousness Movement

In 1968, Biko co-founded the South African Students’ Organisation (SASO) with other like-minded black students. SASO aimed to provide a platform for black students to challenge apartheid and create a sense of unity among them. The organization became the backbone of the Black Consciousness Movement, which sought to empower black South Africans by encouraging them to embrace their identity and value their cultural heritage. By fostering a strong sense of self-worth, the BCM aimed to break down the psychological barriers imposed by apartheid.

Philosophy and Goals

Central to the Black Consciousness Movement was the idea that black South Africans needed to liberate themselves from the mental chains of apartheid. The movement emphasized the importance of self-reliance and self-determination, rejecting the notion that white people were necessary for the liberation of black South Africans. Instead, Biko and the BCM insisted that black people could achieve freedom by developing their own solutions to the problems caused by apartheid.

Biko often spoke about the need to redefine “blackness” as a positive identity, fostering pride and unity among black South Africans. He also believed that social, political, and economic empowerment were essential for the liberation of black people, and that these goals could be achieved through community-based projects and initiatives.

Arrest, Death, and Legacy

The South African government saw Steve Biko and the Black Consciousness Movement as a significant threat to the apartheid regime. In 1973, Biko was banned from participating in political activities and confined to the Eastern Cape. Despite these restrictions, he continued to work clandestinely to advance the goals of the movement.

In August 1977, Biko was arrested, and on September 12, he died from a brain injury sustained while in police custody. His death sparked international outrage and galvanized the anti-apartheid movement, drawing global attention to the brutalities of the apartheid regime.

Today, Steve Biko is remembered as a martyr and a symbol of resistance against racial oppression. The Black Consciousness Movement played a crucial role in the fight against apartheid by empowering black South Africans to take control of their destiny. Biko’s ideas continue to inspire generations of activists worldwide, who strive for social justice and the eradication of racial inequality.

How Essays are Assessed in Grade 12

The essay will be assessed holistically (globally). This approach requires the teacher to score the overall product as a whole, without scoring the component parts separately. This approach encourages the learner to offer an individual opinion by using selected factual evidence to support an argument. The learner will not be required to simply regurgitate ‘facts’ in order to achieve a high mark. This approach discourages learners from preparing ‘model’ answers and reproducing them without taking into account the specific requirements of the question. Holistic marking of the essay credits learners’ opinions supported by evidence. Holistic assessment, unlike content-based marking, does not penalise language inadequacies as the emphasis is on the following:

  • The construction of an argument
  • The appropriate selection of factual evidence to support such an argument
  • The learner’s interpretation of the question.

Steve Biko: Black Consciousness Movement Grade 12 Essay s Topics

Topic: the challenge of black consciousness to the apartheid state.

Introduction

K ey Definitions

  • Civil protest : Opposition (usually against the current government’s policy) by ordinary citizens of a country
  • Uprising : Mass action against government policy
  • Bantu Homelands : Regions identified under the apartheid system as so-called homelands for different cultural and linguistic groups.
  • Prohibition : order by which something may not be done; prohibit; declared illegal
  • Resistance : When an individual or group of people work together against specific domination
  • Exile : When someone is banished from their country

(Background)

  • “South Africa as an apartheid state in 1970 to 1980
  • 1978 PW Botha and launched his “Total Strategy”
  • There were limited powers granted to the Colored, Indians and black township councils to ensure economic and political white supremacy
  • Despite these reforms, Africans still did not gain any political rights outside their homelands
  • Government’s response to violence against government reform policies – the declaration of a state of emergency in 1985:
  • Banishment of the ANC and PAC to Sharpeville in 1960 – Underground Organizations
  • Leaders of the Liberation Movements were in prisons or in exile
  • New legislation – Terrorism Act – increases apartheid government’s power to suppress political opposition •Detention without trial – leads to the deaths of many activists
  • Torture of activists in custody
  • Increasing militarization within the country
  • Bantu education ensures a low-paid labour force •Apartheid regime had total control
  • In the late 1960s there was a new kind of resistance – The Black Consciousness Movement

( Nature and Objectives of Black Consciousness )

  • In the late 1970s, a new generation of black students began to organize resistance
  • Many were students at “forest college” established under the Bantu education system for black students such as the University of Zululand and the University of the North
  • They accepted the Black Consciousness philosophy
  • The term “black” was a direct dispute with the apartheid term “non-white”.
  • “Black people” were all who were oppressed by apartheid – including Indians and coloured people

Black Consciousness Movement Grade 12 Questions

Question 1: how did the ideas of the black consciousness movement challenge the apartheid regime in the 1970.

How to answer and get good marks?

  • Learners must use relevant evidence e.g. Uses relevant evidence that shows a thorough understanding of how the ideas of Black Consciousness challenged the apartheid regime in the 1970s .
  • Learners must also use evidence very effectively in an organised paragraph that shows an understanding of the topic

When you answer, you should not ignore the following key facts where applicable:

  • Black Consciousness wanted black South Africans to do things for themselves
  • Black Consciousness wanted black South Africans to act independently of other races x Self-reliance promoted self-pride among black South Africans

SASO references can also be applicable (if sources are presented)

  • SASO was formed to propagate the ideas of Black Consciousness
  • To safeguard and promote the interests of black South Africans students
  • SASO was based on the philosophy of Black Consciousness
  • SASO was associated with Steve Biko
  • SASO encouraged black South Africans students to be self-assertive

Question 2: How did the truth and reconciliation commision assist South Africa to come in terms with the past?

  • To ensure healing and reconciliation among victims and perpetrators of political violence through confession
  • The TRC encouraged the truth to be told
  • Hoped to bring about forgiveness through healing
  • To bring about ‘Reconciliation and National Unity’ among all South Africans
  • Any other relevant response.

Download Black Consciousness Movement Grade 12 Essay Guide (Question and Answers) on pdf format

View all # History-Grade 12 Study Resources

We have compiled great resources for History Grade 12 students in one place. Find all Question Papers, Notes, Previous Tests, Annual Teaching Plans, and CAPS Documents.

More relevant sources

https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/steve-biko-the-black-consciousness-movement-steve-biko-foundation/AQp2i2l5?hl=en

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Black-Consciousness-movement

Morning Answers

History Grade 12

Black consciousness movement grade 12 essay guide (question and answers).

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Black Consciousness Movement Grade 12 Essay Guide (Question and Answers): The Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) was a grassroots anti-Apartheid activist movement that emerged in South Africa in the mid-1960s out of the political vacuum created by the jailing and banning of the African National Congress and Pan Africanist Congress leadership after the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960.

  • 1 How Essays are Assessed in Grade 12
  • 2.1 Question 1: How did the ideas of the black consciousness movement challenge the apartheid regime in the 1970?
  • 2.2 Question 2: How did the truth and reconciliation commision assist South Africa to come in terms with the past?
  • 3 More relevant sources
  • 4 Questions and Answers

How Essays are Assessed in Grade 12

The essay will be assessed holistically (globally). This approach requires the teacher to score the overall product as a whole, without scoring the component parts separately. This approach encourages the learner to offer an individual opinion by using selected factual evidence to support an argument. The learner will not be required to simply regurgitate ‘facts’ in order to achieve a high mark. This approach discourages learners from preparing ‘model’ answers and reproducing them without taking into account the specific requirements of the question. Holistic marking of the essay credits learners’ opinions supported by evidence. Holistic assessment, unlike content-based marking, does not penalise language inadequacies as the emphasis is on the following:

  • The construction of an argument
  • The appropriate selection of factual evidence to support such an argument
  • The learner’s interpretation of the question.

Black Consciousness Movement Grade 12 Questions

Question 1: how did the ideas of the black consciousness movement challenge the apartheid regime in the 1970.

How to answer and get good marks?

  • Learners must use relevant evidence e.g. Uses relevant evidence that shows a thorough understanding of how the ideas of Black Consciousness challenged the apartheid regime in the 1970s .
  • Learners must also use evidence very effectively in an organised paragraph that shows an understanding of the topic

When you answer, you should not ignore the following key facts where applicable:

  • Black Consciousness wanted black South Africans to do things for themselves
  • Black Consciousness wanted black South Africans to act independently of other races x Self-reliance promoted self-pride among black South Africans

SASO references can also be applicable (if sources are presented)

  • SASO was formed to propagate the ideas of Black Consciousness
  • To safeguard and promote the interests of black South Africans students
  • SASO was based on the philosophy of Black Consciousness
  • SASO was associated with Steve Biko
  • SASO encouraged black South Africans students to be self-assertive

Question 2: How did the truth and reconciliation commision assist South Africa to come in terms with the past?

  • To ensure healing and reconciliation among victims and perpetrators of political violence through confession
  • The TRC encouraged the truth to be told
  • Hoped to bring about forgiveness through healing
  • To bring about ‘Reconciliation and National Unity’ among all South Africans
  • Any other relevant response.

Download Black Consciousness Movement Grade 12 Essay Guide (Question and Answers) on pdf format

More relevant sources

https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/steve-biko-the-black-consciousness-movement-steve-biko-foundation/AQp2i2l5?hl=en

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Black-Consciousness-movement

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  • 1 Why do you think Bantu Education Act or Law is interesting or important to know
  • 2 What are the main disadvantages of Bantu Education Act
  • 3 What were the long-lasting consequences of Bantu Education

Why do you think Bantu Education Act or Law is interesting or important to know

The Bantu Education Act, 1953 (Act No. 47 of 1953; later renamed the Black Education Act, 1953) was a South African segregation law that legislated for several aspects of the apartheid system. Its major provision enforced racially separated educational facilities.

What are the main disadvantages of Bantu Education Act

Below are the main disadvantages of the Bantu Education Act

  • low funding and expenditures to black schools,
  • a lack of numbers and training of black school teachers,
  • impoverished black school conditions and resources,
  • a poor education curriculum.

What were the long-lasting consequences of Bantu Education

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Steve Biko: The Black Consciousness Movement

The saso, bcp & bpc years.

By Steve Biko Foundation

Stephen Bantu Biko was an anti-apartheid activist in South Africa in the 1960s and 1970s. A student leader, he later founded the Black Consciousness Movement which would empower and mobilize much of the urban black population. Since his death in police custody, he has been called a martyr of the anti-apartheid movement. While living, his writings and activism attempted to empower black people, and he was famous for his slogan “black is beautiful”, which he described as meaning: “man, you are okay as you are, begin to look upon yourself as a human being”. Scroll on to learn more about this iconic figure and his pivotal role in the Black Consciousness Movement...

“Black Consciousness is an attitude of mind and a way of life, the most positive call to emanate from the black world for a long time” - Biko

1666/67 University of Natal SRC

On completion of his matric at St Francis College, Biko registered for a medical degree at the University of Natal’s Black Section. The University of Natal professed liberalism and was home to some of the leading intellectuals of that tradition.  The University of Natal had also become a magnet attracting a number of former black educators, some of the most academically capable members of black society, who had been removed from black colleges by the University Act of 1959.  The University of Natal also attracted as law and medical students some of the brightest men and women from various parts of the country and from various political traditions. Their convergence at the University of Natal in the 1960s turned the University into a veritable intellectual hub, characterised by a diverse culture of vibrant political discourse. The University thus became the mainstay of what came to be known as the Durban Moment.

At Natal Biko hit the ground running. He was immediately influenced by, and in turn, influenced this dynamic environment. He was elected to serve on the Student's Representative Council (SRC) of 1966/67, in the year of his admission. Although he initially supported multiracial student groupings, principally the National Union of South African Students (NUSAS), a number of voices on campus were radically opposed to NUSAS, through which black students had tried for years to have their voices heard but to no avail. This kind of frustration with white liberalism was not altogether unknown to Steve Biko, who had experienced similar disappointment at Lovedale.

Medical Students at the University of Natal (Left to Right: Brigette Savage, Rogers Ragavan, Ben Ngubane, Steve Biko)

Correspondence designating Biko as an SRC delegate at the annual NUSAS Conference

In 1967, Biko participated as an SRC delegate at the annual NUSAS conference held at Rhodes University. A dispute arose at the conference when the host institution prohibited racially mixed accommodation in obedience to the Group Areas Act, one of the laws under apartheid that NUSAS professed to abhor but would not oppose. Instead NUSAS opted to drive on both sides of the road: it condemned Rhodes University officials while cautioning black delegates to act within the limits of the law. For Biko this was another defining moment that struck a raw nerve in him. 

Speech by Dr. Saleem Badat, author of Black Man You Are on Your Own, on SASO

Reacting angrily, Biko slated the artificial integration of student politics and rejected liberalism as empty echoes by people who were not committed to rattling the status quo but who skilfully extracted what best suited them “from the exclusive pool of white privileges”. This gave rise to what became known as the Best-able debate:  Were white liberals the people best able to define the tempo and texture of black resistance? This debate had a double thrust. On the one hand, it was aimed at disabusing white society of its superiority complex and challenged the liberal establishment to rethink its presumed role as the mouthpiece of the oppressed.  On the other, it was designed as an equally frank critique of black society, targeting its passivity that cast blacks in the role of “spectators” in the course of history. The 7th April 1960 saw the banning of the African National Congress and the Pan African Congress and the imprisonment of the leadership of the liberation movement had created a culture of apathy 

Bantu Stephen Biko

“ We have set out on a quest for true humanity, and somewhere on the distant horizon we can see the glittering prize. Let us march forth with courage and determination, drawing strength from our common plight and our brotherhood. In time we shall be in a position to bestow upon South Africa the greatest gift possible - a more human face.”

Biko argued that true liberation was possible only when black people were, themselves, agents of change. In his view, this agency was a function of a new identity and consciousness, which was devoid of the inferiority complex that plagued black society. Only when white and black societies addressed issues of race openly would there be some hope for genuine integration and non-racialism.   

Transcript of a 1972 Interview with Biko

At the University Christian Movement (UCM) meeting at Stutterheim in 1968, Biko made further inroads into black student politics by targeting key individuals and harnessing support for an exclusively black movement. In 1969, at the University of the North near Pietersburg, and with students of the University of Natal playing a leading role, African students launched a blacks-only student organisation, the South African Student Organisation (SASO).  SASO committed itself to the philosophy of black consciousness.  Biko was elected president.

Black Student Manifesto

The idea that blacks could define and organise themselves and determine their own destiny through a new political and cultural identity rooted in black consciousness swept through most black campuses, among those who had experienced the frustrations of years of deference to whites. In a short time, SASO became closely identified with 'Black Power' and African humanism and was reinforced by ideas emanating from Diasporan Africa. Successes elsewhere on the continent, which saw a number of countries, achieve independence from their colonial masters also fed into the language of black consciousness.

SASO's Definition of Black Consciousness

Cover of a 1971 SASO Newsletter

“ In 1968 we started forming what is now called SASO... which was firmly based on Black Consciousness, the essence of which was for the black man to elevate his own position by positively looking at those value systems that make him distinctively a man in society” - Biko

Cover of a 1971 SASO Newsletter 

Cover of a 1972 SASO Newsletter

Cover of SASO newsletter, 1973

Cover of a 1975 SASO Newsletter

Steve Biko speaks on BCM

The Black People’s Convention By 1971, the influence of SASO had spread well beyond tertiary education campuses. A growing body of people who were part of SASO were also exiting the university system and needed a political home. SASO leaders moved for the establishment of a new wing of their organisation that would embrace broader civil society.  The Black People’s Convention (BPC) with just such an aim was launched in 1972. The BPC immediately addressed the problems of black workers, whose unions were not yet recognised by the law. This invariably set the new organisation on a collision path with the security forces.  By the end of the year, however, forty-one branches were said to exist. Black church leaders, artists, organised labour and others were becoming increasingly politicised and, despite the banning in 1973 of some of the leading figures in the movement, black consciousness exponents became most outspoken, courageous and provocative in their defiance of white supremacy.  

BPC Membership Card

Minutes of the first meeting of the Black People's Convention

In 1974 nine leaders of SASO and BPC were charged with fomenting unrest.  The accused used the seventeen-month trial as a platform to state the case of black consciousness in a trial that became known as the Trial of Ideas. They were found guilty and sentenced to various terms of imprisonment, although acquitted on the main charge of being party to a revolutionary conspiracy.  

SASO/BPC Trial Coverage SASO/BPC Trial Coverage BPC Members

SASO/BPC Coverage

Poster from the 1974 Viva Frelimo Rally

Their conviction simply strengthened the black consciousness movement.  Growing influence led to the formation of the South African Students Movement (SASM), which targeted and organised at high school level. SASM was to play a pivotal role in the student uprisings of 1976.

Barney Pityana, Founding SASO Member

In 1972, the year of the birth of the BPC, Biko was expelled from medical school. His political activities had taken a toll on his studies. More importantly, however, according to his friend and comrade Barney Pityana, “his own expansive search for knowledge had gone well beyond the field of medicine.” Biko would later go on to study law through the University of South Africa.

Steve Biko's Order Form for Law Textbooks

Upon leaving university, Biko joined the Durban offices of the Black Community Programmes (BCP), the developmental wing of the Black People Convention, as an employee reporting to Ben Khoapa. The Black Community Programmes engaged in a number of community-based projects and published a yearly called Black Review, which provided an analysis of political trends in the country. 

Black Community Programmes Pamphlet 

Overview of the BCP

BCP Head, Ben Khoapa

86 Beatrice Street, Former Headquarters of the BCP 

"To understand me correctly you have to say that there were no fears expressed" - Biko

Ben Khoapa, Beatrice Street Circa 2007

Biko's Banning Order

When Biko was banned in March 1973, along with Khoapa, Pityana and others, he was deported from Durban to his home town, King William’s Town. Many of the other leaders of SASO, BPC, and BCP were relocated to disparate and isolated locations. Apart from assaulting the capacity of the organisations to function, the bannings were also intended to break the spirit of individual leaders, many of whom would be rendered inactive by the accompanying banning restrictions and thus waste away.

Following his banning, Biko targeted local organic intellectuals whom he engaged with as much vigour as he had engaged the more academic intellectuals at the University of Natal. Only this time, the focus was on giving depth to the practical dimension of BC ideas on development, which had been birthed within SASO and the BPC. He set up the King William’s Town office (No 15 Leopold Street) of the Black Community Programmes office where he stood as Branch Executive. The organisation focused on projects in Health, Education, Job Creation and other areas of community development.

No 15 Leopold Street , Former King William's Town Offices of the BCP

It was not long before his banning order was amended to restrict him from any meaningful association with the BCP. Biko could not meet with more that one person at a time. He could not leave the magisterial area of King William’s Town without permission from the police.  He could not participate in public functions nor could he be published or quoted.

Zanempilo Clinic, a BPC Clinic

These restrictions on him and others in the BCM and their regular arrests, forced the development of a multiplicity of layers of leadership within the organisation in order to increase the buoyancy of the organisation.  Notwithstanding the challenges, the local Black Community Programme office did well, managing among other achievements to build and operate Zanempilo Clinic, the most advanced community health centre of its time built without public funding.  According to Dr. Ramphele, “it was a statement intended to demonstrate how little, with proper planning and organisation, it takes to deliver the most basic of services to our people.”  Dr. Ramphele and Dr. Solombela served as resident doctors at Zanempilo Clinic.

Community Member from Njwaxa

Other projects under Biko’s office included Njwaxa Leatherworks Project, a community crèche and a number of other initiatives. Biko was also instrumental in founding in 1975 the Zimele Trust Fund set up to assist political prisoners and their families. Zimele Trust did not discriminate on the basis of party affiliation. In addition, Biko set up the Ginsberg Educational Trust to assist black students. This trust was also a plough-back to a community that had once assisted him with his own education.

Click on the Steve Biko Foundation logo to continue your journey into Biko's extraordinary life. Take a look at Steve Biko: The Black Consciousness Movement, Steve Biko: The Final Days, and Steve Biko: The Legacy.

—Steve Biko Foundation:

Steve Biko: The Inquest

Steve biko foundation, 11 february 1990: mandela's release from prison, africa media online, detention without trial in john vorster square, south african history archive (saha), what happened at the treason trial, steve biko: final days, 9 august 1956: the women's anti-pass march, steve biko: the early years, the signs that defined the apartheid, steve biko: legacy, leadership during the rise and fall of apartheid.

History Paper 2 Questions - Grade 12 June 2021 Exemplars

INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION

  • This question paper consists of SECTION A and SECTION B based on the prescribed content framework in the CAPS document. SECTION A: SOURCE-BASED QUESTIONS QUESTION 1: CIVIL RESISTANCE, 1970s TO 1980s: SOUTH AFRICA: THE CRISIS OF APARTHEID IN THE 1980s QUESTION 2: THE COMING OF DEMOCRACY TO SOUTH AFRICA AND COMING TO TERMS WITH THE PAST SECTION B: ESSAY QUESTIONS QUESTION 3: CIVIL RESISTANCE, 1970s TO 1980s: SOUTH AFRICA: QUESTION 4: THE COMING OF DEMOCRACY TO SOUTH AFRICA AND COMING TO TERMS WITH THE PAST: NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT AND THE GNU QUESTION 5: THE END OF THE COLD WAR AND A NEW WORLD ORDER: THE EVENTS OF 1989
  • SECTION A consists of TWO source-based questions. Source material that is required to answer these questions will be found in the ADDENDUM.
  • SECTION B consists of THREE essay questions.
  • Answer TWO questions as follows: At least ONE must be a source-based question and at least ONE must be an essay.
  • When answering questions, you should apply your knowledge, skills and insight.
  • You will be disadvantaged by merely rewriting the sources as answers.
  • Number the answers correctly according to the numbering system used in this question paper.
  • Write neatly and legibly.

SECTION A: SOURCE-BASED QUESTIONS Answer ONE question from this section. Source material to be used to answer these questions is in the ADDENDUM. QUESTION 1: HOW DID SOUTH AFRICANS REACT TO P.W. BOTHA’S REFORMS IN THE 1980s? Study Sources 1A, 1B, 1C and 1D and answer the questions that follow. 1.1 Refer Source 1A. 1.1.1 How, according to the source, did the new Botha administration begin transform apartheid? (2 x 1) (2) 1.1.2 Comment on what is meant by the following statement: ‘The government hoped that this class of black people would have too much to lose to help the struggle for liberation.’ (1 x 2) (2) 1.1.3 Name TWO methods used by the government to encourage Soweto residents to buy homes. (2 x 1) (2) 1.2 Study to Source 1B. 1.2.1 Why do you think a political vacuum was created in the townships?  (2 x 2) (4) 1.2.2 Name any TWO persons who came together to launch a new broad anti-apartheid organisation. (2 x 1) (2) 1.2.3 What, according to the source, was the goal of the UDF? (1 x 2) (2) 1.2.4 Why do you think the ANC met with the UDF? (2 x 2) (4) 1.2.5 How useful will this source be for a historian researching the contribution made by the UDF towards the demise of apartheid? (2 x 2) (4) 1.3 Consult Source 1C. 1.3.1 What message is conveyed in this poster regarding the reaction to the reforms implemented by P.W. Botha? (2 x 2) (4) 1.3.2 Name the campaign the UDF launched against the tri-cameral parliament elections. (Use the visual clue in the poster to answer the question.) (1 x 2) (2) 1.3.3 Explain what is meant by the slogan, ‘Forward to Freedom’ on the poster. (2 x 2) (4) 1.4 Compare Sources 1B and 1C. Show how the information in Source 1B supports the evidence in Source 1C regarding the role of the UDF against apartheid. (2 x 2) (4) 1.5 Refer to Source 1D. 1.5.1 Explain what is meant by the concept, ‘People’s Power’. (1 x 2) (2) 1.5.2 Name TWO types of boycotts that civil society embarked on. (2 x 1) (2) 1.5.3 Why do you think the civic organisations went on rent boycotts? (1 x 2) (2) 1.6 Using the information in the relevant sources and your own knowledge, write a paragraph of about EIGHT lines (about 80 words) explaining how South Africans reacted to P.W. Botha’s reforms in the 1980s. (8) [50]

QUESTION 2: HOW SUCCESSFUL WAS THE TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION (TRC) IN DEALING WITH THE DEATH OF ACTIVIST LENNY NAIDU? Study Sources 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D to answer the following questions. 2.1 Refer to Source 2A. 2.1.1 Name the underground organisation that Lenny Naidu was a member of. (1 x 2) (2) 2.1.2 What, according to the source, did Lenny Naidu dedicate his life to? (3 x 1) (3) 2.1.3 Why, do you think, Lenny Naidu was forced into exile? (2 x 2) (4) 2.1.4 Use the source and your own knowledge to explain why Lenny Naidu was awaiting orders to return home. (1 x 2) (2) 2.2 Read Source 2B. 2.2.1 How, according to the information in the source, would Lenny Naidu be arrested according to the law in those days? (2 x 1) (2) 2.2.2 Who, according to the source, had applied for amnesty? (2 x 1) (2) 2.2.3 Using the information in the source and your own knowledge, explain whether the Naidu’s got closure from the TRC hearings. (1 x 2) (2) 2.2.4 According to the source, what type of charge was laid against De Kock? (1 x 2) (2) 2.2.5 Explain the reliability of the source in explaining the death of Lenny Naidu and others. Use evidence from the source to support your answer. (2 x 2) (4) 2.3 Consult Source 2C. 2.3.1 Why, according to the source, did De Kock appear before the TRC at the Durban Christian Centre? (1 x 2) (2) 2.3.2 Comment on why you think Umkhonto we Sizwe cadres left South Africa and sought refuge in Swaziland. (2 x 2) (4) 2.3.3 Name THREE political activists, besides Lenny Naidu, that were killed by the South African security police. (3 x 1) (3) 2.4 Study Source 2D. 2.4.1 Explain the message that is conveyed in the cartoon. Use the visual clues in the cartoon to support your answer. (2 x 2) (4) 2.4.2 Comment on what you think was implied by the words, ‘AH, MR. DE KOCK ... HAVE YOU LISTED THE CRIMES …’ (1 x 2) (2) 2.5 Refer to Sources 2C and 2D. Explain how the information in Source 2C supports the evidence in Source 2D regarding De Kock’s appearance before the TRC. (2 x 2) (4) 2.6 Using the information in the relevant sources and your own knowledge, write a paragraph of about EIGHT lines (about 80 words) explaining how successful the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) was in dealing with the death of activist Lenny Naidu. (8) [50]

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SECTION B: ESSAY QUESTIONS Answer ONE question from this section. QUESTION 3: CIVIL RESISTANCE, 1970s TO 1980s: SOUTH AFRICA Critically discuss the role and impact of the Black Consciousness Movement under Steve Biko on black South Africans in the 1970s. [50]

QUESTION 4: THE COMING OF DEMOCRACY TO SOUTH AFRICA AND COMING TO TERMS WITH THE PAST: NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT AND THE GNU ‘The commitment and leadership displayed by both Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk ensured that South Africa became a democratic state in 1994.’ Do you agree with the above statement? Use relevant evidence to support your line of argument. [50]

QUESTION 5: THE COLLAPSE OF COMMUNISM AND A NEW WORLD ORDER: THE EVENTS OF 1989 Explain to what extent the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989 served as a major catalyst (spark) for the political transformation that occurred in South Africa. Substantiate your line of argument by referring to relevant evidence.  [50]

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Black Consciousness Movement vs. Apartheid in South Africa Essay

Introduction, the system of apartheid, the movement, the influence.

31 years ago, in September 1977, Bantu Stephen Biko, a young ­ black activist, and a fighter against apartheid in South­ Africa have been killed in police torture chambers. Although he was only ­ one of many young black figures of resistance who have become victims of the special forces of the police in South Africa, he, undoubtedly, was one of the great prophets of his generation­. More than 20 000 people from all of the country have gathered to honor his memory at the funeral – having collected, thus, one of ­ the most mass demonstrations in South Africa in the seventies.

Outside of South Africa, the news about his death has stirred up a wave of criticism against the policy of apartheid. Biko called for consciousness awakening, considering ­ it as a means of resistance to oppression, against ­ reconciliation with existence within a system that was based on inequality. He has gone through the way from an activist of one of the student’s organizations, which united black and white­ students, to the leader and the ideologist of one of the largest ­ protest movements in South Africa which struggled and fought for blacks’ rights­. The short life – 30 years which has been taken away – Biko has devoted to the dethronement of apartheid’s defects, the system ­ of a social organization that brought sufferings to the black population of South Africa.

In his representation, the black ­ consciousness is a way to resist racism not only ­ by the rallying of the oppressed black majority, but also ­ by the realized formation of the fundamentally excellent system of social relations: “Black Consciousness is, in essence, the realization by the black man of the need to rally together with his brothers around the cause of their operation – the blackness of their skin – and to operate as a group in order to rid themselves of the shackles that bind them to perpetual servitude.” 1

This essay despite its introduction is not about one man, it is about the movement that was influenced by a man and played a major role in the revival of resistance to apartheid in South Africa with the main idea that the ideology of Black Consciousness was the basis of African resistances towards white domination.

The system of apartheid has its roots in the 350-year-old history of religious, land, and labor conflicts. In 1652 a group of Dutch immigrants has landed on the Cape of Good Hope and has gradually based a colony with rigid social division, living at the expense of the cultivation of the fertile earth by using the labor of slaves from Africa and Asia. In 1795 the control over territory was grasped by Great Britain, and Dutch-Afrikaners have moved in the depth of the continent and have based their new colonies. In 1899-1902 the British have suppressed a revolt in what is called the Second Boer War. “The war lasted three years and resulted mainly from a combination of personal ambition, conflict over a sea route to India, and most importantly, competition for control of the gold-mining developing in Witwatersrand.” 2

After the declaration in 1910 of the Union of South Africa in which the former territories of British and the Boers have entered, the Afrikaners united under the power of the British monarch, who appeared in the majority had accepted the constitution in which basis laid the principle of the superiority of the white race. This was followed by the legislation that set the racial segregation by which almost all the land has been assigned to white owners, and the African, Asian, and “colored” population has been gradually superseded from the political life.

Following the declaration of the Union of South Africa, South African Native National Congress has been formed, and renamed in 1923 into the African National Congress, for racial discrimination counteraction, the fight for suffrage and equality while the shifting governments of the country steadily rejected its demands. Over half a century the rights of the black population were continuously denied through various acts that put further restrictions with each one released.

For example in 1913 an act called the Natives Land Act “prohibited African purchase or lease of land outside certain areas known as “reserves” 3 The Natives (Urban Areas) Act of 1923 stated that “Africans were denied freehold property rights and were only allowed in South African cities “For so long as their presence is demanded by the wants of the white population.” 4 After the power was captured in 1948 by the extremist Nationalist party which called itself the Gesuiwerde (purified) National Party formed by D.F. Malan, the system of apartheid became rooted in South Africa until 1994. The politics and policies of apartheid separated South Africa from the rest of the world through systematic and legal segregation upheld and defined by a small but powerful white bureaucracy. 5

During the apartheid regime the culture, not only youth but also public, was frequently imposed from above, instead of being developed naturally on the basis of consciousness and historical continuity. The concept of consciousness imposed from above has been multiplied by the concept of an ethnic accessory which was defined by ideology and was supported by group interests. The policy that was born from the philosophy of the iridescent nation considers the many-sided nature and dynamism of various groups and does not accept the concepts of “natural”, static and invariable group or groups as it was treated by the apartheid’s regime.

This fact allowed the black population to start positioning themselves as the others in the cultural environment that was dominated by the white population. In South Africa, this tendency was shown in the creation of the organization under the name the “Black Consciousness Movement”. Helping black people in clearing the psychological inferiority complex which prevailed centuries over them in their political thinking and activity, and, especially, in their struggle against the domination of the white is mostly attributed to Steve Biko and the Black Consciousness Movement.

The strategy of clearing of white domination and inequality, offered to the black population by Steve Biko and the Black Consciousness Movement, was focused on the principle that carrying out any changes is possible only within the limits of the program developed by the black population. For this purpose, the black population should overcome the feeling of inferiority that was intentionally cultivated by the apartheid regime with the purpose of preserving the white domination in South Africa. “The racism we meet does not only exist on an individual basis; it is also institutionalized to make it look like the South African way of life” 6

It was in this climate that Steve Biko founded the SASO as an alternate to the existing student organizations NUSAS that was not very effective recently. The white leaders of NUSAS (National Union of South African Students) acknowledged that they faced limitations in resisting apartheid and trying to represent blacks as equals 7 . Thus, the black consciousness movement began with the formation of the SASO.

The SASO Manifesto adopted in July 1971, declared that Black Consciousness was “an attitude of mind, a way of life, in which the black man saw himself as self-defined and not as defined by others”. It required “group cohesion and solidarity” so that blacks could become increasingly aware of their collective economic and political power 8 .

Black Consciousness aimed at creating a social order dominated by a black way of life and thought, permeating a certain cultural blackness in all customs, tastes, values, religious and political principles, and all social relationships in their intellectual and moral connotation 9 . The black consciousness movement also brought to light the writings of African leaders that had been so far neglected, some of which included the works of Cheikh Anta Diop, Leopold Senghor on Negritude, Kenneth Kaunda on African humanism, and most importantly, Julius Nyerere on self-reliance and ujamaa or African socialism.

The evolving nature of the Black Consciousness Movement gave the struggle against apartheid a very dynamic front – by providing a conciliatory or revolutionary, a peaceful or violent, a bourgeois or socialist dimension to the confrontation between blacks and whites. By eschewing violence and emphasizing black cultural and psychological emancipation from white domination, the Black Consciousness Movement was initially the vehicle of a black philosophy of pride and self-affirmation invigorated by an ethic of “Christian Liberation”.

As the movement gradually came to recognize that it can be truly effective only if it addresses the real issues of class struggle and the fundamental role that the individual has in abolishing oppressive social structures, the Movement started focusing on the problem of the superstructure. As the most radical impact the black consciousness movement had on the resistance to Apartheid, the movement underlined that the black revolution which was made ineffective by the material structure can be rejuvenated only by the transformation of the black intellect. Thus, the revolution would occur only if the black mind stripped itself from submission to white hegemony and erected on its own foundations the principles of the new moral order.

While the intellectual elite stuck to the subtle points of BC ideology the common masses embraced the movement’s rhetoric in its emotional form, as a form of angry self-assertion 10 . Although the ideology was interpreted by angry youngsters as Black Consciousness and did not exactly resemble the set of complex ideas that had been elaborated by the movement’s leaders, the leaders felt that the expression of anger among the youth was a testimony to their success in inspiring blacks to assert themselves more openly 11 .

However, this anger soon led to the uprising in 1976 at Soweto, in a way that despite being a direct outcome of the movement, it marked the beginning of a decline in its mass influence.

After the 1976 unrest, there was considerable debate as to the ideology of the Black Consciousness Movement and whether the white should be included in the struggle of the black population. Some Black Consciousness leaders continued to advocate excluding whites from the pre-liberation struggle, until 1977, when Biko himself advocated greater cooperation with supportive white organizations. He stated: “We don’t have sufficient groups who can form coalitions with blacks — that is groups of whites — at the present moment. The more such groups will come up, the better to minimize the conflict”. 12 With this statement, Biko moved towards the concept of closer cooperation between white and black groups, which would later be the foundation of the UDF.

  • Biko, I Write What I Like, p. 49.
  • Lindsay Michie Eades, The End of Apartheid in South Africa (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999) p. 6.
  • Lindsay Michie Eades, The End of Apartheid in South Africa (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999) p. 8.
  • Lindsay Michie Eades, The End of Apartheid in South Africa (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999) p. 12.
  • Biko, I Write What I Like, p. 88.
  • Marx, Lessons of Struggle: South African Internal Opposition, 1960-1990. p. 52.
  • Gerhart, Black Power in South Africa: The Evolution of an Ideology. p. 270.
  • Fatton, Black Consciousness in South Africa: The Dialectics of Ideological Resistance to White Supremacy. p. 60.
  • Marx, Lessons of Struggle: South African Internal Opposition, 1960-1990. p.65.
  • Marx, Lessons of Struggle: South African Internal Opposition, 1960-1990. p. 65.
  • Biko, I Write What I Like, p. 151.
  • Chicago (A-D)
  • Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2021, September 23). Black Consciousness Movement vs. Apartheid in South Africa. https://ivypanda.com/essays/black-consciousness-movement-vs-apartheid-in-south-africa/

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Mubarak Aliyu

August 19th, 2021, steve biko and the philosophy of black consciousness.

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Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

The Black Consciousness Movement pioneered by Steve Biko played a crucial role in the resistance to Apartheid in South Africa. Pursuing broad coalitions alongside ideas of Black theology and indigenous values, Biko’s role in the anti-Apartheid struggle can be read as one of philosopher as much as activist.

This post is a winning entry in the lse student writing competition black forgotten heroes , launched by the firoz lalji institute for africa ..

Born 18 December 1946, Steve Biko was a South African activist who pioneered the philosophy of Black Consciousness in the late 1960s. He later founded the South African Students Organisation (SASO) in 1968, in an effort to represent the interests of Black students in the then University of Natal (later KwaZulu-Natal). SASO was a direct response to what Biko saw as the inaction of the National Union of South African Students in representing the needs of Black students.

Biko’s experiences under Apartheid drove his philosophy and political activism. He had witnessed police raids during his childhood and lived through the brutality and intimidation the Apartheid government was known for. Biko’s philosophy focused primarily on liberating the minds of Black people who had been relegated to an inferior status by white power structures, seeing the power struggle in South Africa as ‘a microcosm of the confrontation between the third world and the first world’.

Steve Bio

The philosophy of Black consciousness

The Black Consciousness Movement centred on race as a determining factor in the oppression of Black people in South Africa, in response to racial oppression and the dehumanisation of Black people under Apartheid. ‘Black’ as defined by Biko was not limited to Africans, but also included Asians and ‘coloureds’ (South Africans of mixed race including African, European and/or Asian origin), incorporating Black Theology, indigenous values and political organisation against the ruling system.

The movement viewed the liberation of the mind as the primary weapon in the fight for freedom in South Africa, defining Black consciousness as, first, an inward-looking process, where Black people regain the pride stripped away from them by the Apartheid system. His philosophy casts a positive retelling of African history, which has been heavily distorted and vilified by European imperialists in an attempt to construct their colonies. In his writings, he notes that ‘[a] people without a positive history is like a vehicle without an engine’.

At the heart of this thinking is the realisation by blacks that the most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed

A necessary step towards restoring dignity to Black people, according to Biko, involves elevating the heroes of African history and promoting African heritage to deconstruct the idea of Africa as the dark continent. Black consciousness seeks to extract the positive values within indigenous African cultures and to make it a standard with which Black people judge themselves – the first form of resistance towards imperialism and Apartheid. According to Biko, ‘what black consciousness seeks to do is to produce at the output end of the process, real black people who do not consider themselves as appendages to white society’.

In Apartheid South Africa, Black consciousness aimed to unite citizens under the main cause of their oppression. Biko’s philosophy goes further to introduce the concept of Black theology, arguing the message in Christianity needs to be taught from the perspective of the oppressed to fit the journey of Black people’s self-realisation. According to Biko, Black theology must preach that it is a sin to allow oneself to be oppressed. Adapting Christianity to African values and belief systems is at the core of doing away with ‘spiritual poverty’.

In 1972, Biko founded the Black People’s Convention as an umbrella organisation for the Black Consciousness Movement, which had begun sweeping through universities across the nation. One year later, he and eight other leaders of the movement were banned by the South African government, which limited Biko to his home of King William’s Town. He continued to defy the banning order, however, by supporting the Convention, leading to several arrests in the following years.

On 21 August 1977, Biko was detained by the police and held at the eastern city of Port Elizabeth, where he was violently tortured and interrogated. By 11 September, he was found naked and chained to a prison cell door. He died in a hospital cell the following day as a result of brain injuries sustained at the hands of the police. Although the details of his torture remain unknown, Biko’s death has been understood by many South Africans as an assassination.

Black consciousness was beyond a movement; it was a philosophy deeply grounded in African Humanism, for which Biko should be considered not only an activist but a philosopher in his own right. His legacy remains one deeply relevant today – of resistance and self-determination in the face of widespread oppression.

All quotes are taken from Steve Biko’s selected writings in his book ‘I write what I like’ .

Photo : Steve Biko . Stained glass window by Daan Wildschut in the Saint Anna Church, Heerlen (the Netherlands), ca. 1976.  Source: Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 .

About the author

Mubarak Aliyu

Mubarak Aliyu is an MSc Development Studies candidate at LSE, with a specialism in African Development. His research interests include education reform, indigenous knowledge systems and grassroots political organisation.

Black history should be spread to empire the youth of Africans and erase the mind motive of slavery

The Born Frees ( Everyone Who Is Born During The State Of Independence Of South Africa ) Of South Africa Should Acknowledge Historical Legitimate Activists As Honoured Egalitarians And Patriots Who Fought For Freedom, Liberty & The Downfall Of Apartheid Regime. Those Legends Fought For Our Rights And Privileges We Are Currently Enjoying.

I’m The Top Learner (Historian) Of Mavalani High School Which Is Located South Africa In Limpopo.

This really helped me in my biography project and i got 85%

Thank you so much for the summary. I’m assisting a grade 5 learner with her school project

As a black South African woman in her 50s, I think it is every child’s right to know who they are. Black consciousness was and still is necessary. I’m saddened by what the apartheid regime did to us.

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Essay Black Consciousness Movement

The Black Consciousness Movement was a political and cultural movement that emerged in the late 1960s to early 1970s in South Africa. The movement was rooted in anti-apartheid and anti-colonialism sentiments, and sought to promote black pride and unity among black South Africans. The movement was led by a number of charismatic leaders, including Steve Biko, who would become one of its most iconic figures. The BCM also had a strong intellectual bent, with a number of leading thinkers and writers associated with it. In this blog post, we will explore the origins and key ideas of the Black Consciousness Movement. We will also look at its legacy, both in South Africa and beyond.

What is the black consciousness movement?

The black consciousness movement is a political and social movement that emerged in the late 1960s to early 1970s out of the civil rights movement. The main goals of the black consciousness movement were to promote black pride, unity, and self-determination. Black consciousness activists believed that by raising awareness of their shared history and culture, they could empower themselves and achieve liberation from white oppression.

The black consciousness movement was led by a number of charismatic figures, including Stokely Carmichael, Huey Newton, and Malcolm X. These leaders encouraged black people to see themselves as part of a larger community with a common history and destiny, rather than as individuals who were powerless in the face of white racism. The movement also placed emphasis on economic self-sufficiency and entrepreneurship, as well as education and self-improvement.

The black consciousness movement had a significant impact on popular culture, particularly in music and fashion. Many famous musicians, including Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, and Marvin Gaye, incorporated messages of black pride into their songs. The Afro hairstyle became an emblem of the movement, symbolizing both African heritage and defiance against white standards of beauty.

The black consciousness movement helped to lay the groundwork for subsequent political movements like Black Power andPan-Africanism. It also inspired other groups fighting for racial justice around the world, including Indigenous peoples in Australia and Canada.

What are the goals of the black consciousness movement?

The black consciousness movement was a political and cultural movement that emerged in the late 1960s to early 1970s. The goals of the movement were to raise awareness of the discrimination and oppression faced by black people, to promote black pride and unity, and to achieve political and economic equality.

The movement was led by black intellectuals and activists such as Steve Biko , who believed that white domination could only be ended through black solidarity and self-reliance. The movement gained momentum during the apartheid era in South Africa, when the government imposed strict racial segregation laws and limited blacks’ political rights.

The black consciousness movement inspired other liberation movements around the world, including the American Civil Rights Movement . Its legacy continues today in the form of organizations and programs that work to empower black communities and fight discrimination.

What are some of the key events in the history of the black consciousness movement?

The Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) was a political movement that emerged in South Africa in the 1960s. It was started by a group of black students at the University of Witwatersrand who became disillusioned with the slow pace of change for black people within the country. The BCM gained momentum in the 1970s as more and more black people became involved in the struggle for equality.

Some of the key events in the history of the BCM include:

– The Soweto Uprising: This was a series of protests and riots that started on June 16, 1976 when students from Soweto, a township outside of Johannesburg, marched to protest the poor standard of education they were receiving. The protests turned violent when police opened fire on the demonstrators, killing several hundred people. The Soweto Uprising is often cited as one of the key events that led to the downfall of apartheid.

– The Biko assassination: Steve Biko was a prominent leader within the BCM who advocated for black pride and self-reliance. He was arrested by security forces in August 1977 and died while in their custody a few days later. His death sparked international outrage and helped to galvanize support for the anti-apartheid movement.

– The Release of Nelson Mandela: After 27 years in prison, Nelson Mandela was finally released from prison on February 11, 1990. His release signaled hope for a new South Africa where all people would be treated equally , regardless of race.

– The First Democratic Elections: After years of struggle, the people of South Africa were finally able to vote in the country’s first democratic elections on April 27, 1994. Nelson Mandela was elected as the country’s first black president, and the ANC (African National Congress) party won a majority of the seats in parliament. This marked a new era for South Africa, and the end of apartheid.

How has the black consciousness movement impacted society?

The black consciousness movement (BCM) is a political and cultural movement that emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s out of the civil rights movement in the United States. The BCM has had a significant impact on society, particularly in terms of its impact on race relations and racial identity.

One of the most significant impacts of the BCM has been its challenge to the traditional understanding of race in America. Prior to the emergence of the BCM, most Americans subscribed to a “color-blind” view of race, which held that race was not a meaningful category and that people should be treated as individuals, regardless of their skin color. The BCM rejected this view, instead asserting that race is a real and important factor in American life . This challenge to traditional ideas about race helped pave the way for subsequent movements such as affirmative action and multiculturalism.

In addition to its impact on racial attitudes, the BCM also helped to foster a new sense of black pride and identity. For many blacks, the BCM was an avenue for expressing their dissatisfaction with the limited opportunities available to them within white-dominated society. The movement also encouraged blacks to celebrate their African heritage and culture, something that had often been discouraged by whites. The black pride fostered by the BCM continues to be evident today in movements such as Black Lives Matter.

black consciousness movement timeline

The Black Consciousness Movement was a political and social movement that emerged in South Africa in the 1960s and 1970s. The movement was characterized by a commitment to black empowerment, pride, and self-determination, as well as a rejection of the racial hierarchy imposed by apartheid. Here is a brief timeline of the Black Consciousness Movement:

  • 1950s: The African National Congress (ANC) and other anti-apartheid organizations are banned by the South African government, leading to the emergence of underground resistance movements.
  • 1968: Steve Biko, a medical student and activist, helps found the South African Students’ Organization (SASO), which becomes a key organization in the Black Consciousness Movement.
  • 1970: The Black People’s Convention (BPC) is formed, bringing together a range of black consciousness groups and individuals.
  • 1973: Steve Biko is elected as the first president of SASO.
  • 1974: The South African government bans Biko from speaking in public, and he is subsequently arrested and tortured by the police.
  • 1976: The Soweto Uprising takes place, in which thousands of black schoolchildren protest against the imposition of Afrikaans as the language of instruction in schools. The government responds with violence, leading to the deaths of hundreds of people.
  • 1977: Steve Biko dies in police custody after being beaten and tortured. His death sparks international condemnation and leads to increased scrutiny of the apartheid regime.
  • 1977-1994: The Black Consciousness Movement continues to play a role in the struggle against apartheid, with many of its leaders and members working alongside other anti-apartheid organizations such as the ANC.
  • 1994: South Africa holds its first democratic elections, marking the end of apartheid and the beginning of a new era in the country’s history.

The legacy of the Black Consciousness Movement continues to be felt in South Africa today, as many of the ideas and principles espoused by its leaders and members continue to influence social and political movements in the country.

It is clear that the black consciousness movement has had a profound impact on both individuals and society as a whole. By raising awareness of the issues faced by black people, the movement has helped to bring about change in attitudes and perceptions. It has also inspired other movements which have fought for equality and justice. The black consciousness movement remains an important force today, and its legacy will continue to shape the future for generations to come.

The Black Consciousness Movement: Empowerment, Identity, and Struggle Against Apartheid

Origins and key figures of the black consciousness movement.

The Black Consciousness Movement emerged as a potent force of resistance against apartheid in South Africa, challenging the oppressive racial hierarchy that had been institutionalized by the apartheid regime. This movement was a response to the systemic discrimination and dehumanization faced by Black individuals, and it aimed to instill a sense of pride, identity, and agency within the Black community. The origins of the Black Consciousness Movement can be traced back to the late 1960s, and it was profoundly shaped by key figures who not only led the movement but also contributed to its ideological foundations.

One of the most influential figures in the movement was Steve Biko, a charismatic leader and activist who played a pivotal role in shaping the movement’s ethos. Biko emphasized the importance of psychological liberation, advocating for Black individuals to embrace their heritage, culture, and identity. He believed that true empowerment could only be achieved when Black people recognized their worth and resisted the psychological impact of apartheid’s racist ideologies. Biko’s writings, particularly his seminal work “I Write What I Like,” articulated the principles of Black Consciousness and challenged the notion of white superiority.

Impact of Black Consciousness on Apartheid Resistance

The Black Consciousness Movement had a profound impact on the resistance against apartheid. It provided a counter-narrative to the dehumanizing rhetoric of apartheid, encouraging Black people to reject their inferior status and assert their rights as equals. By promoting a sense of self-worth and pride, the movement empowered individuals to challenge the apartheid regime both mentally and physically. Black Consciousness sparked a shift in mindset from victimhood to agency, which led to a renewed determination to fight for justice and equality.

The movement also facilitated the rise of grassroots activism and community organizing. Black Consciousness encouraged individuals to take ownership of their struggles and actively resist oppression. This resulted in the formation of organizations such as the South African Students’ Organization (SASO) and the Black People’s Convention (BPC), which became platforms for mobilization, education, and political engagement. These organizations were crucial in galvanizing resistance efforts, fostering solidarity, and ultimately contributing to the downfall of apartheid.

Ideological Foundations of Black Consciousness

At the heart of the Black Consciousness Movement lay a set of ideological principles that challenged the dominant narratives perpetuated by the apartheid regime. Central to these principles was the notion of “black is beautiful,” which celebrated Black identity, culture, and heritage. The movement rejected the internalized racism that had been perpetuated by apartheid policies, urging Black individuals to reject the notion of racial inferiority.

Black Consciousness also emphasized the importance of self-reliance and autonomy. The movement advocated for economic empowerment within the Black community and encouraged the creation of Black-owned businesses and institutions. This emphasis on self-sufficiency was seen as a direct challenge to the economic exploitation perpetuated by apartheid policies, which had systematically disadvantaged Black individuals.

Interactions with Other Movements

The Black Consciousness Movement had significant interactions with other anti-apartheid movements, both within South Africa and internationally. While the movement maintained its distinct focus on psychological liberation and self-empowerment, it collaborated with other groups that shared the goal of dismantling apartheid.

One notable interaction was with the African National Congress (ANC), a broader liberation movement that employed a more diverse range of tactics, including armed resistance. While the ANC and Black Consciousness shared a common goal of ending apartheid, there were ideological differences regarding the methods to achieve this. The ANC’s armed struggle approach contrasted with Black Consciousness’ emphasis on nonviolent resistance and psychological liberation. Despite these differences, the movements recognized the importance of unity and often found common ground in their opposition to apartheid.

Black Consciousness and Identity Formation

The Black Consciousness Movement played a pivotal role in shaping individual and collective identities among Black South Africans. Through its emphasis on self-awareness and pride, the movement facilitated a process of identity reclamation and transformation. Black individuals were encouraged to embrace their cultural heritage and reject the narrative of racial inferiority imposed by apartheid.

This identity transformation had far-reaching implications. It fostered a sense of belonging and unity within the Black community, breaking down internal divisions perpetuated by apartheid policies. Black Consciousness helped individuals transcend the limitations placed on them by apartheid, inspiring a new generation of activists who were unafraid to challenge the status quo.

Cultural Expressions of Black Consciousness

Culture played a significant role in the expression of Black Consciousness. Music, literature, art, and other forms of creative expression became powerful tools for conveying the message of resistance, pride, and identity. Musicians like Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, and Abdullah Ibrahim used their music to inspire and unite the masses. Literature, too, played a crucial role, with authors such as Bessie Head and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o highlighting the struggles and resilience of Black individuals.

Art also became a means of resistance, with visual artists like Gerard Sekoto and Dumile Feni using their work to depict the harsh realities of apartheid and the strength of the Black spirit. These cultural expressions not only raised awareness about the injustices faced by Black South Africans but also served as a source of inspiration and pride, reinforcing the principles of Black Consciousness.

Legacy and Contemporary Relevance

The legacy of the Black Consciousness Movement continues to resonate in contemporary South Africa and beyond. The movement’s emphasis on self-empowerment, pride, and identity remains relevant in the ongoing struggle for justice and equality. The principles of Black Consciousness have influenced subsequent generations of activists, shaping their approach to fighting against various forms of oppression.

The movement’s legacy can be seen in the celebration of Black culture, the pursuit of economic empowerment, and the promotion of inclusive education. Additionally, Black Consciousness has had a lasting impact on South Africa’s political landscape, shaping policies that address historical inequalities and promote social cohesion.

International Influence of Black Consciousness

The Black Consciousness Movement also had an international impact, inspiring movements and activists across the globe. The struggle against apartheid resonated with marginalized communities facing similar forms of oppression. Black Consciousness served as a symbol of hope and resilience, illustrating the power of collective action and the capacity to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges.

International solidarity with the movement helped exert pressure on the apartheid regime and contributed to its eventual downfall. The influence of Black Consciousness can be seen in the broader global struggle for human rights, social justice, and equality.

Black Consciousness and Youth Mobilization

The Black Consciousness Movement particularly resonated with young people, who were at the forefront of its activism. The movement provided a space for young individuals to express their frustrations and aspirations, offering a platform for them to challenge the oppressive regime. The movement’s emphasis on youth empowerment and agency invigorated a new generation of activists who played a crucial role in pushing for change.

Government Response and Repression

The apartheid government perceived the Black Consciousness Movement as a threat to its racial hierarchy and responded with repression. Biko and other key figures were arrested, tortured, and even killed. Despite these attempts to suppress the movement, it continued to gain momentum and inspired greater resistance.

The government’s response highlighted the movement’s effectiveness in challenging the status quo. Black Consciousness had struck a chord among the Black population, and its principles of self-empowerment and identity reclamation were too powerful to be silenced.

Comparative Analysis with Other Movements

When comparing the Black Consciousness Movement with other anti-apartheid movements, such

as the African National Congress (ANC), several key distinctions emerge. While both movements aimed to dismantle apartheid, they differed in their strategic approaches and ideological foundations.

The ANC, established in 1912, adopted a broader approach to liberation, encompassing a range of tactics, including armed resistance, diplomatic negotiations, and mass mobilization. The ANC’s membership was diverse, spanning multiple racial and ethnic groups, and its leadership included figures such as Nelson Mandela. The movement sought to form alliances with international actors and garnered significant global support for its anti-apartheid efforts.

In contrast, the Black Consciousness Movement, emerging in the late 1960s, focused on psychological liberation, cultural pride, and identity formation within the Black community. Led by figures like Steve Biko, the movement aimed to create a sense of self-worth and empowerment among Black individuals as a foundation for resistance. It encouraged nonviolent protest, grassroots mobilization, and the creation of Black-led institutions.

Both movements faced government repression, but the tactics they employed and their primary goals differed. The ANC’s armed struggle and diplomatic efforts attracted international attention and contributed to the imposition of economic sanctions on apartheid South Africa. On the other hand, the Black Consciousness Movement’s emphasis on internal change and psychological liberation sought to undermine the very foundations of apartheid ideology.

Challenges and Criticisms of Black Consciousness

While the Black Consciousness Movement was undeniably influential, it faced its share of challenges and criticisms. One significant criticism was the movement’s perceived exclusivity. Critics argued that its focus on Black identity and empowerment could inadvertently promote division within the broader anti-apartheid movement. Additionally, some critics questioned whether Black Consciousness adequately addressed economic inequalities and the plight of rural communities.

The movement’s emphasis on nonviolence also raised debates within the movement itself. Some activists believed that nonviolence might not be enough to bring about substantial change, especially in the face of the brutal repression by the apartheid regime.

Contemporary Relevance and Legacy

The legacy of the Black Consciousness Movement continues to shape South Africa’s social, cultural, and political landscape. The movement’s principles of self-empowerment, cultural pride, and unity remain relevant as the nation grapples with post-apartheid challenges. Black Consciousness has contributed to the development of policies that address historical injustices, promote economic empowerment, and celebrate South Africa’s diverse cultural heritage.

The movement’s emphasis on education and consciousness-raising has also influenced contemporary efforts to promote inclusive education and address disparities in access to quality schooling. Black Consciousness-inspired initiatives seek to empower marginalized communities through education, enabling individuals to understand their rights, embrace their identities, and participate actively in the nation’s development.

The Black Consciousness Movement emerged as a transformative force in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa. Its emphasis on psychological liberation, cultural pride, and identity formation challenged the very core of apartheid’s racist ideology. Key figures like Steve Biko played a central role in shaping the movement’s ethos, inspiring individuals to reject their status as victims and to embrace their agency in demanding justice and equality.

The movement’s impact was profound, fostering grassroots activism, shaping individual and collective identities, and influencing cultural expressions of resistance. Its legacy endures in contemporary South Africa and resonates internationally, serving as a testament to the enduring power of self-empowerment, pride, and unity in the face of oppression.

While the movement faced challenges and criticisms, its contributions to dismantling apartheid’s psychological chains and inspiring a generation of activists cannot be understated. The Black Consciousness Movement remains a symbol of resilience, hope, and the unwavering belief in the possibility of positive change, making it an enduring chapter in the history of social justice movements worldwide.

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Grade 12 - Forms of civil society protest emerged from the 1960s to 1970s

It is important to note that South African events do not occur in a vacuum, as we are part of a large continent and a much larger world. Therefore, what happens in the ‘North’ has a huge impact on what happens here. For this section, it is important to understand the international background, and what the world was like in the 1960s. This will help us contextualise the Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa in the 1970s.

Also, it is impossible to understand what happened in South Africa (the ‘small picture’) unless we understand what happened in international relations (the ‘big picture’) towards the end of the 1980s.

During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, world politics was dominated by the rivalry between the Soviet Union (Russia) and the United States of America. This rivalry was called the Cold War .

The content of the new history curriculum is structured to help us to understand the interaction between the world, the African continent and South Africa.

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  1. HSTORY T2 Gr. 12 Black Consciousness Essay

    Grade 12: The Challenge of Black Consciousness to the Apartheid State (Essay) PPT. Grade 12: The Challenge of Black Consciousness to the Apartheid State (Essay) PPT ... HSTORY T2 Gr. 12 Black Consciousness Essay . Free . By. History Curriculum Advisors. Download. Type: pptx . Size: 11.68MB ...

  2. Steve Biko and the Black Consciousness Movement Grade 12 Essay Guide

    Black Consciousness Movement Grade 12 Essay Guide (Question and Answers) and Summary: The Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) was a grassroots anti-Apartheid activist movement that emerged in South Africa in the mid-1960s out of the political vacuum created by the jailing and banning of the African National Congress and Pan Africanist Congress leadership after the Sharpeville Massacre in 1960.

  3. Black power movement essay grade 12

    The Black Power Movement was a political and social movement whose advocates believed in racial pride, self sufficiency and equality for all people of black and African descent. This essay will critically discuss the significant roles played by various leaders during the black power movement in USA. To begin with, the black power movement is ...

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    The source mentions the various leaders of the Black Consciousness Movement The source outlines the challenges faced by the Black Consciousness Movement NSC - Grade 12 Exemplar - Memorandum

  5. History Paper 2 Memorandum

    SECTION B: ESSAY QUESTIONS QUESTION 3: CIVIL RESISTANCE, 1970s TO 1980s: SOUTH AFRICA ... Reason for the formation of the Black Consciousness Movement (Background) Biko's philosophy of Black Consciousness (BC) ... MATHEMATICS LITERACY PAPER 2 GRADE 12 MEMORANDUM - NSC PAST PAPERS AND MEMOS JUNE 2022 ...

  6. Black Consciousness Movement Grade 12 Essay Guide (Question and Answers)

    1 How Essays are Assessed in Grade 12. 2 Black Consciousness Movement Grade 12 Questions. 2.1 Question 1: How did the ideas of the black consciousness movement challenge the apartheid regime in the 1970? 2.2 Question 2: How did the truth and reconciliation commision assist South Africa to come in terms with the past?

  7. PDF NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE GRADE 12

    GRADE 12 . History/P2 2 DBE/Feb.-Mar. 2016 NSC - Memorandum ... ESSAY QUESTIONS . 2.1 The essay questions require candidates to: ... QUESTION 1: WHY DID THE BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS MOVEMENT DECIDE TO INTRODUCE COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMMES IN THE 1970s? 1.1 .

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    Cognitive Levels Historical skill s. Weighting of questions LEVEL 1. • Extract evidence from sources • Selection and organisation of relevant information from sources • Define historical concepts/terms. 30%. (15) LEVEL 2. • Interpretation of evidence from sources • Explain information gathered from sources • Analyse evidence from ...

  9. Black Consciousness Movement (BCM)

    On 12 September 1977, the Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko died while in the custody of security police. The period leading up to his death, beginning with the June 1976 unrest, had seen some of the most turbulent events in South African history, the first signs that the apartheid regime would not be able to maintain its oppressive rule without massive resistance.

  10. PDF HISTORY

    The 2024 Grade 12 history programme aims to strengthen your ... interpret sources, and assist with developing skills needed for essay writing. Session Date Time Topic 1 13 February 16:00 -17:00 Paper 1: Revision 2 06 May 15:00 -16:00 Paper 2: Exam Preparation ... The Black Consciousness Movement. 2024 WORKBOOK | Grade 12 HISTORY 763 SCAN ...

  11. PDF GRADE 12 HISTORY TEACHER NOTES

    HISTORY GRADE 12 SESSION (TEACHER NOTES) SESSION TOPIC: CIVIL SOCIEY PROTEST - BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS MOVEMENT OF THE 1970s . 1. Give basic outline of Civil Society protest, focusing on the . Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa: 5 minutes . 2. Typical exam questions: 1 hour, 20 minutes . 3.

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  13. Steve Biko: The Black Consciousness Movement

    The SASO, BCP & BPC Years. Stephen Bantu Biko was an anti-apartheid activist in South Africa in the 1960s and 1970s. A student leader, he later founded the Black Consciousness Movement which would empower and mobilize much of the urban black population. Since his death in police custody, he has been called a martyr of the anti-apartheid movement.

  14. History Paper 2 Questions

    SECTION B: ESSAY QUESTIONS QUESTION 3: CIVIL RESISTANCE, 1970s TO 1980s: SOUTH AFRICA: ... Critically discuss the role and impact of the Black Consciousness Movement under Steve Biko on black South Africans in the 1970s. [50] ... MATHEMATICS LITERACY PAPER 2 GRADE 12 MEMORANDUM - NSC PAST PAPERS AND MEMOS JUNE 2022 ...

  15. 1970s: Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa

    The movement was led by a man called Steve Biko. BC encouraged all black South Africans to recognize their inherent dignity and self-worth. In the 1970s, the Black Consciousness Movement spread from university campuses into urban black communities throughout South Africa. Biko was banned in 1973.

  16. Black Consciousness Movement vs. Apartheid

    Introduction. 31 years ago, in September 1977, Bantu Stephen Biko, a young ­ black activist, and a fighter against apartheid in South­ Africa have been killed in police torture chambers. Although he was only ­ one of many young black figures of resistance who have become victims of the special forces of the police in South Africa, he ...

  17. Steve Biko and the philosophy of Black consciousness

    This post is a winning entry in the LSE student writing competition Black Forgotten Heroes, launched by the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa. Born 18 December 1946, Steve Biko was a South African activist who pioneered the philosophy of Black Consciousness in the late 1960s. He later founded the South African Students Organisation (SASO) in ...

  18. Essay Black Consciousness Movement

    The Black Consciousness Movement was a political and cultural movement that emerged in the late 1960s to early 1970s in South Africa. The movement was rooted in anti-apartheid and anti-colonialism sentiments, and sought to promote black pride and unity among black South Africans. The movement was led by a number of charismatic leaders ...

  19. PDF The Meaning of Black Consciousness in The Struggle for Liberation in

    The meaning of Black Consciousness: an overview A proper analysis of Black Consciousness should, we believe, begin with its adequate and comprehensive definition, which would serve as a context within which we could then begin an exposition of the philosophy and ideology which are the basic tenets of Black Consciousness.

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  21. PDF BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS REVIVED: The rise of Black Consciousness thinking

    Black Consciousness ideology in South Africa, as articulated by Biko, sought the attainment of a radical egalitarian and nonracial society. Amongst some of the - espoused principles of the Black Consciousness Movement that defined South African youth politics in the 1970s, is that Black Consciousness emphasised values of black

  22. Grade 12

    This will help us contextualise the Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa in the 1970s. Also, it is impossible to understand what happened in South Africa (the 'small picture') unless we understand what happened in international relations (the 'big picture') towards the end of the 1980s. ... Grade 12 - Forms of civil society ...

  23. The Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa: A Product of The

    Recibido: 3 Diciembre 2007 / Revisado: 8 Enero 2008 / Aceptado: 14 Enero 2008 / Publicación Online: 15 Febrero 2008. Abstract: The paper illustrates how th e rise of. the Black Consciousness ...