Review: Biko, Steve. Black Consciousness in South Africa. 1979. Ed. Arnold Millard

Abstract

Stephen Bantu Biko, the father of the Black Consciousness Movement in South Africa, may have died in the hands of the brutal system of Apartheid, but his intellectual legacy remains a living treasure for the Black people both in South Africa and across the globe. However, Biko remains a less-known figure among the youth and does not significantly feature in the intellectual circles in South Africa where he should ideally be an icon that guides the country in dismantling the shackles of menticide, which ruined the Black nation for over 300 years of colonization and 46 years of systematic Apartheid. This essay provides a review of Biko’s last public statement--a political testament--showing how his words, particularly his philosophy of “Black consciousness,” are relevant today after South Africa’s recent years of physical liberation.