What was black consciousness and how did it influence the Soweto Uprising?

African higher education in the 1960's

New momentum developed in universities after the Extension of University Education Act in 1959
Bantu Education was highly criticised as it was designed to cut down the African elite's ambition however also greatly extended higher education for black people.
The nationalists realised that whites couldn't provide enough skills for economic development
They also realised that for separate development to work, there would need to be officials and professionals.
Aim: create ethnically specific universities that used the African languages and identification with the homelands.
Many Africans seeking higher education were directed towards Turfloop --> Became a melting pot. Many came from ANC/PAC families
By the late 1960's, the students were very politicised
Many people came from Christian backgrounds
Students heard of North American civil rights successes and slogans from MLK

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Steve Biko = medical student at University of Natal
Part of National Union of South African Students (NUSAS) and Christian movement
Very inspired by these ideas
NUSAS was a student union (supposedly non-racial) but dominated by white people
Eventually, after the University Christian Movement was banned, the South African Student's Organisation was founded (SASO)
This was a new phase of South African resistance
Took up African ideas used earlier in ANC Youth League and PAC --> Elements of black and liberation theology.
African Nationalism + American Black Power = black consciousness
Biko said that black people should lead themselves and not be lead by whites

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Less of an organised political movement and more of an intellectual orientation.
Self-assurance in being black at a time when white South African society was in power
An attitude of the mind
Decided to use the term black - probably from the US and to move away from terms like 'Bantu' or 'coloured'
Black Universities (e.g. Turfloop) produced many activists --> Ironically the apartheid universities gave them this opportunity
Some of SASO's leaders were arrested in the early 70's but they maintained a strong presence on black campus'
In Durban, SASO organised a protest despite a government ban - moved from ideological mobilisation to confrontation
1972 = A Black Consciousness Movement and a Black People's Convention was launched
Ideas had been drawn from Africanist ideas from PAC - distanced themselves from banned party though
Movement of the youth - students

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1975 = momentum of protest was shifting to schools
Number of children at school was expanding (1 mil - 3.5 mil between 1950-1975)
This expansion put strains on staff and building space
Soweto classes were 60+ children
Bantu education had lead to increasing political potential
High school students were still a minority for people their age though - had to face gangs that dominated the streets (tsotsis) - violent, aggressive and hostile
School students faced a real danger of violence from these gangs - therefore had to fight both gangs and the gov —> Black consciousness gave them a stronger sense of identity
By 1976, they were combining against the gangs - formed self-defence units
Prepared to use violence

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1794 = the Transvaal Bantu Education Department decided to expand teaching in Afrikaans at African Schools
Afrikaans was seen as the language of the oppressor - the language of racism
English was seen as the language of advancement, a global language and the language of BC
Now African children would have to master two languages in addition to their first language
In May, SASM (South African Students Movement) tried to organise boycotts in protest
2,000 marching pupils were confronted by 50 police —> Stones thrown and police dogs released (a few dead and a few wounded)
Pupils then attacked government buildings and killed two officials. Gov responded with force
Overall; 138 were killed in first few days
Pupils boycotted school, tried to destroy gov buildings
June: other uni students marched in sympathy and Turfloop students tried to burn down the Afrikaans department on their campus
Gov inquiry calculated that 575 people died in the uprising —> most violent episode since Sharpville
Attracted global attention.
In order to avoid arrest, 4,000 youths fled the country
Many joined the Mk
Student leaders were imprisoned on Robben Island

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In 1973, Steve Biko was banned - made to live in Kingwilliamstown (Eastern Cape)
Maintained a strong profile through his writing
In 1977, he broke his banning order and left Kingwilliamstown and was arrested, interrogated and beaten
He was taken to a prison hospital and died 12th Sept 1977
Police claimed his death was due to a hunger strike - more likely that he died from his injuries from police brutality
International disproval
Funeral attended by 10,000 + people.

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