Steve+Biko

Steve Biko

- **__Basic Information__** o Current City: King Williams Town o Hometown: King Williams Town o Sex: Male o Birthday: December 18, 1946 o Political Views: Anti-Apartheid o Religious Views:Christian o Bio:I was born on December 12, 1946 in King Williams Town, South Africa. I was expelled from the Lovedale Institute after being interrogated by the police. Once I graduated from St. Francis I attended University of Natal where I became increasingly politically active. After realizing that only white students were elected to leadership positions, I organized the South African Students Organization and was elected its first president. The SASO was a founding organization of the Black Consciousness Movement, which spread rapidly through out South Africa. In an attempt to reform the SASO and open it up to non-students, I created the Black People's Convention and Black People's Programs. In 1973, I was formally banned by the government and restricted to my hometown of King Williams Town. Even though I was banned from teaching and speaking in public or to more than one person at a time, I was still able to further the cause of Black Consciousness. While banned, I organized classes in literacy and dressmaking and built a health clinic for rural blacks struggling to get medical care in city hospitals. On August 18, I was arrested and held in a detention center. I was thirty years old and married with two small sons. I was killed while in police custidy on September 12. o Favorite Quotations: "So as a prelude, whites must be made to realise that they are only human, not superior. Same with Blacks. They must be made to realise that they are also human, not inferior." Steve Biko "The most potent weapon of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed." Steve Biko "You are either alive and proud or you are dead, and when you are dead, you can't care anyway." Steve Biko "I believe in human beings, and that all human beings should be respected as such, regardless of color." Malcolm X "If your not ready to die from it, put the word freedom out of you vocabulary." Malcolm X - **__Death__** My death is more important than my life. I was arrested and killed in police custidy. The South African police tried to hide the real cause of my death by saying I died of an extended hunger strike, when in reality I was killed by police while in prison. During my interrogation I was chained to a window grill and beaten. Two days after the beating, I was taken to a hospital in Pretoria, where on September 12, 1977, I died of head trauma. After my death, I became a martyr for the anti-apartheid movement. Thirteen western nations sent representatives to my funeral; However, South African police kept thousands of mourners from attending my funeral. Police armed with rifles and machine guns erected roadblocks. Waiting to arrest those who attended my funeral, police beat those getting off of buses and out of cars. Twenty thousand people attended my funeral, and listened to speakers warn the government that my death would lead to more violence. Those attending my funeral raised their fists and shouted "Power" over and over as my coffin was lowered into the grave. Due to national and international outcry, there were several inquests into my death. It was eight years before any action was taken by the government against those involved in my death. - **__Likes and Interests__** o Activities:Fighting for Equality o Interests:Medicine, law o Music:Traditional South African Music o Books: The Poisonwood Bible, Invisible Man, The Color of Water, Long Walk to Freedom o Movies:Invictus, Count Down to Freedom, Cry Freedom, Gandhi, Hotel Rwanda o Television:The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Firefly - **__Education and Work__** o High School: Expelled from the Lovedale Institute, later graduated from St. Francis School o College/University:University of Natal, studied law by mail through Universtity of South Africa o Employer: Self Employed, many anti-aparthied organizations

ALBUM 1: Me
 * __Photos__** ** (15 photos; 5 in each album)





ALBUM 2: In Memorium ALBUM 3: Freedom Fighters ** - EXPLANATION The purpose of this group is to promote racial equality. I have always fought for equality for everyone. In fact I died for racial equality. There was no equality under apartheid, and I fought to end apartheid. GROUP 2: Equal Justice Society - EXPLANATION The Equal Justice Society fights for equality and racial justice. I spent my whole life fighting for equal rights and when I died I was still fighting for equal rights when I was killed. The Equal Justice Society uses peaceful methods to fight for social justice. I want social justice for everyone, and I was willing to use both peaceful and violent means to achieve justice and equality. GROUP 3: African Union - EXPLANATION The African Union is similar to the European Union. It brings together leaders from nations all around Africa. Since I was heavily involved in South African politics, the African Union is a good place for me. Through the African Union, I can help people both in South Africa and other African nations achieve equality. GROUP 4:** Action Group on Palestine SA
 * __Groups__** Click here to find a group to join! You must join 10 groups from this site and this site only!!
 * GROUP 1: National Nubian Network
 * - EXPLANATION** I joined the Action Group on Palestine because it is made up of South Africans fighting to support Palestine. I believe in equality for everyone and the Palestinians are not being treated as equals by the rest of the world. The debate on Palestine is similar to the anti apartheid movement in South Africa. It is a group of people fighting to be heard in a place where the government wishes to drown out their voice.
 * GROUP 5:** African Voices
 * - EXPLANATION** I joined African Voices because it is a place to discuss African politics and I have a lot to say about African politics. All African nations need to move toward freedom for all of their citizens. I hope the rest of the world learned from my death how far one may need to go to achieve equality. I wish I hadn't had to die to change international opinion, but it happened.
 * GROUP 6:** Invites
 * - EXPLANATION** Everyone deserves civil rights no matter what. I fought for equality in South Africa and I support those fighting for equality everywhere else around the world. Invites is located in India and relates to equality in India. Though I am African, I support civil rights anywhere.
 * GROUP 7:** Black Watch
 * - EXPLANATION** Black Watch is devoted to creating a feeling of belonging to those of African Decent. The feeling of belonging is important. Blacks in South Africa were being told that they didn't belong in their own nation. I helped to change that feeling.
 * GROUP 8:** Voice of Pan Africanism
 * - EXPLANATION** I am not particularly interested in Pan- Africanism, but it is politics in Africa which I am tremendously interested in. I do not feel that the entire African Continent needs to be brought together, but I believe that people around the world should be treated equally. We should find the nation with the best human rights and civil rights records and use them as a template for what the rest of the world should be. If everyone was considered a first class citizen imagine how much better the world would be.
 * GROUP 9:** Democracy and Human Rights
 * - EXPLANATION** The Democracy and Human Rights group is dedicated to improving human rights around the world. Everyone deserves basic rights and should be treated equally. I support human rights not only in South Africa, but around the world. Though aparteid was defeated in South Africa, people are still struggling with inequality around the world.
 * GROUP 10:** World Youth
 * - EXPLANATION** Students and young people have the power to change the world. I organized students against apartheid when I was in college. Perhaps young people can change the world faster than older people. After all don't thing change because a group of young people are unhappy with the old system?


 * __Quizzes__ Click here to find a quiz to take! **You must take at least 5 quizzes from this site and this site only!!
 * QUIZ 1:**Which Feeling are You?
 * - RESULTS-** Violet Sensation
 * - EXPLANATION-** I am independent and don't care what others think. I want independence and freedom for everyone, not just the white ruling class. A violet sensation is good at debating and willing to fight for what they believe in. I believe that all people are equal and deserve to chose and be represented by their government.
 * QUIZ 2:**Which Decade Where You Meant For?
 * - RESULTS** The 1930's and 40's
 * - EXPLANATION** I was born in the 40's so it only makes sense that that is where I belong. I believe in national unity and don't care about frivolous things. I believe that unity among black South Africans will lead to the end of the apartheid. If we all work together we can achieve anything.
 * QUIZ 3:** What Way do You See the World?
 * - RESULTS** Spiritually
 * - EXPLANATION** I believe that there is a reason that I am on this earth, and that reason is to help end apartheid. I have no clear religious beliefs (I got expelled from Catholic School), but one can be spiritual without being religious. I am not here to help myself, but to help others. I died to end apartheid and am glad that both my life and death had a greater meaning.
 * QUIZ 4:** How Far Would You Go for a Friend?
 * - RESULTS** You never quit
 * - EXPLANATION** I fight for what is right, and I can't let my friends be trampled on. Under apartheid I watch my friends and all black South Africans stepped on and pushed down. I will not stop my fight until they are treated as equals. All South Africans fighting for freedom and equality are my friends and they deserve their freedom and equality.
 * QUIZ 5:** What's Your Magic Power?
 * - RESULTS** The Heat of Fire
 * - EXPLANATION** I am strong, stubborn and loyal. I don't give up and will never give up my fight for freedom. I am strong and will believe in myself even when everything is falling down around me. I believe that all people are equal and that everyone deserves a voice in their government. Because of my beliefs I have been arrested and was killed in police custody, but I will always believe that everyone is equal.