People ... Steve Biko
Student Activist

Killed in South Africa ... died September 12, 1977

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