Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Steve Biko

Born 18 December 1946 King William's Town, South Africa
Died 12 September 1977 (aged 30) Pretoria, South Africa
Occupation anti-apartheid activist
Spouse Ntsiki Mashalaba
Children Nkosinathi Biko, Samora Biko, Lerato Biko, Motlatsi Biko and Hlumelo Biko[2][3]

Stephen Bantu Biko (18 December 1946 – 12 September 1977)[1] 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.[4] 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'.[5]

Despite friction between the African National Congress and Biko throughout the 1970s [need quotation to verify] the ANC has included Biko in the pantheon of struggle heroes, going as far as using his image for campaign posters in South Africa's first non-racial elections in 1994.[6] Contents [hide]

1. 1 Early life
2. 2 Death and aftermath
3. 3 Influences and formation of ideology
4. 4 Biko's relevance in the present
5. 5 Tributes
6. 6 References in the arts
7. 6.1 Literature
8. 6.2 Theatre, film and television
9. 6.3 Music
10. 6.4 Paintings
11. 7 See also
12. 8 References
13. 9 Further reading
14. 10 External links