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Bantu Biko was a South African man born on December 18 1946, and was brutally murdered in prison on September 12, 1977. Steven Biko was a martyr that will be remembered for years to come. Fifteen Thousand African’s showed up at his funeral along with representatives from thirteen Western States to share in the mourning of such a noble leader’s death. Biko was a husband, a friend, and a leader. This astounding leader had goals and ideas for the well being of the black community living under Apartheid that touched many black peoples’ lives. Donald Woods says, “He was the country’s most important political leader and certainly the greatest man I ever had the privilege to know”. His wife Wendy says, “We are honored to have been among the friends of a man born with unusual leadership qualities and an unrelenting dedication to the liberation of his people”.
Biko’s leadership abilities were signified in his involvement with different black activist groups. Six of the groups in which Biko was involved included: The Student’s Representative Council, National Union of South African Student’s, University Christian Movement, South African Student’s Organization, Black Community Program’s, and The Black Consciousness Movement. Biko was a leader in all of these groups, which represented his blessing of leadership.
Steven was the youngest child in the Biko family. His mother was a domestic servant for white folks around King Williams Town South Africa, and his father was a government-employed clerk who died when Steven was four. At an early age, Steven’s family stressed the importance of an education. Biko learned at an early age that to survive in South Africa, inflicted with Apartheid, that an education was critical. Steven began schooling at the age of six in 1952, and then went on to Lovedale High School in 1963. Despite Steven’s academic abilities, an expulsion occurred and continuing an education was not permitted. This expulsion occurred because Biko was an active member of multiple Black Consciousness organizations. Next, Biko continued medical training at The University of Natal for Medical School in 1966. However, Biko realized as these studies proceeded that a doctor in Apartheid South Africa would not help to integrate the whites and the blacks, but rather deepen the gap between the two groups. Steven decided to stop this education and become more involved with black organizations. This involvement would help to integrate the whites and the blacks, and to perhaps end the problems of oppression and Apartheid.
In 1977, Biko was the leader of the Black Community Program. A banning order was set, so leaving King William’s Town would be illegal. While traveling to Cape Town, Biko was stopped by white police officers. Because Steven was going against the banning order, the police took him under custody.
While in prison Biko was beaten with a hose, and then pushed into a wall. The police officers interrogating this noble leader began the beating because, “he tried to sit down while being questioned”. Bikos’ head was pushed into the wall with such force that, “head blows occurred, so severe that they shifted the inside of this brain”. Biko was found six days after the killing, naked, lying dead in his jail cell. After an intense investigation, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission believed, “Biko may have been poisoned along with being beaten”. The idea of this poisoning must be even more disturbing to Biko’s widow.
The officers that were involved in the death of this faithful leader were Harold Snyman, Siebert, Gidedit Niewoudt, Ruben Marx, and Johann. At first when questioned about this murder the police officers told the public, “There were no beatings or torture involved in his death”. Another statement by the police was, “Biko got a head injury when we had to restrain him after he went berserk”. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission required the police officers to make a confession of this brutal crime. Amnesty would be provided for the officers if truth were revealed. Recently the police confessed the truth. All of the police officers admitted to slamming his head against the wall, however full responsibility was not taken. As a result of Steve Biko’s death in 1977, all Black Consciousness Organizations were banned.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission led by Nobel Peace prizewinner Desmond Tutu will hear the murderer’s testimony about the death of Biko. The Truth Commission states, “This will be the most high profile case yet”. The Truth Commission has a reputation of being too lenient with offenders of human rights. Because of this reputation, Mrs. Biko is praying that her husband’s case will be an exception. The hearing of the officers will be held in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape of Africa.
The police officers have concluded that they will admit to this murder if no punishment is in order. There will be no charges because when the death occurred, Apartheid was intact in South Africa, so the blacks were treated unfairly, especially by police officers. The victims that are involved in the many deaths that occurred in prison have, “a feeling of betrayal, and denial of justice”. Mrs. Biko will not be satisfied with a simple apology from the men who killed her husband. Biko’s widow wants the police officers to receive full punishment for this brutal murder.
Steve Biko is remembered today for the hope and the inspiration he gave to all of South Africa. Many black people’s self images were suffering and Biko helped restore confidence. One of the many goals that Steven Biko strived for was, “To have a new attitude and new way of life that promoted black pride”. Steven believed that, “the black man’s main problem was the attitude of inferiority”. Biko believed that if black men thought more of themselves, white men would have a harder time going through with the harsh punishment of the blacks under the rule of Apartheid. Another belief was if black men united, the battle of oppression would be an easier battle. Biko said, “Black Consciousness is an attitude of mind, a way of life”. That portrayed the belief that oppression could be stopped if black men would unite as one and fight against the authority. Biko said that the black men should, “forge pride and unity amongst all the oppressed”. One point that Biko stressed to the black population was, “the most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed”.
In conclusion, Biko strived to change the feeling of inferiority, which was ever present in the minds of blacks. Donald Woods says, “I have the need to record a deep sense of loss at the death of this extraordinary man, who, at the age of thirty, had acquired such a towering stature in the minds and hearts of young black people throughout South Africa”. Biko’s memory and goals will be remembered by all for many years to come.
 

Greetings ppl of Atus.net/WordPress.

Sankofa here, and rhetoric is my game.

So lets jump right into this then.

America the great? No more!

Why are you saying this Sankofa? I’ll tell you great ppl. I remember a time when this country was the Greatest in the world in everything. All those things important and unimportant. It had the best schools, the best athletes, the best healthcare, the best military force, the highest morals. But these are things of the past I feel like an old grandfather telling my grandkids about what was. I am of the mindset that if you as a society consider yourself a progressive country, then the thing most important in your snails pace trod through the instances of time is ‘PROGRESS’. When was the last time anything in America that didn’t involve homosexuals was progressive. We are taking steps backwards, the only things that maintain a brisk, and continual forward march through time are cost of living, and inflation(The United States is currently $7,782,816,546,352.00 in debt, and much of that debt is owed to China). We are in the days when the rest of the worlds love affair with America has ended long ago. (Not saying anything bad about Mexico) But America is indebted to them too. I say this to illustrate the hypocrisy of the treatment of the undocumented humans that flee that country for almost certain poverty in this “Great ” country. The dogma of the undocumented migrant is this, those in power who have been week after week bombarding us with the theory that it is the illegals who are tearing this country to shreds economically, socially, and mentally. Who are these men and women? Where do they come from? Why do they hate there fellow man so much? I will tell you my synopsis of the situation. In all honesty those now in power belong almost exclusively to one subgroup (wither Dem, or Rep). That subgroup which so many of America’s elite belongs to is the Roman Catholic Religion (and they say there is separation of church and State). Now that in-in of itself is nothing odd, but when taken in the context that they are the most vocal opponents to the migration of the Latinos across there borders whom just happen to be 90+% Roman catholic, it amazes me when they speak of these self same Catholics, and label them dogs, and lowlifes, and criminals all because they stepped across an imaginary line drawn in the dirt on the land God bequeath them. In these days this seems to be the case for the politicians to push this, it is high on everyones list of things to get down(stopping the flow of undocumented humans) once they reach office. I love the latest bill, a proposed 700 mile wall! Does this make sense? Really tell me. We worry about a wall, when our kids are in school failing everything on a global level. 700 miles. This number will be the measure our shame as a nation one day if we are not careful.

We are not in the top 30 when it comes to health care in the world. Hell there’s somewhere around 20+ to 30+ countries at the very least who subscribe to Universal healthcare( by the way, of the developed countries only america and South Africa don’t subscribe to this practice). We are barely in the top 40’s when it comes to literacy globally(49th actually according to a NYtimes report). The United States ranked 28th out of 40 countries in mathematical literacy (NYT, Dec. 12, 2004). Twenty percent of Americans think the sun orbits the earth. Seventeen percent believe the earth revolves around the sun once a day. The World Health Organization “ranked the countries of the world in terms of overall health performance, and the U.S. [was]…37th.” In the fairness of health care, we’re 54th. The irony is that the United States spends more per capita for health care than any other nation in the world. Retirement similar numbers as literacy. When did we go so wrong. When did making the hard choices mean we abandon both the future and the past. Why I say that is this “U.S. childhood poverty now ranks 22nd, or second to last, among the developed nations. Only Mexico scores lower(again not casting any asparagines at Mexico or her ppl).” What and where did we as a nation go wrong and how do we change it? The coffers of Joel Orsteen, and Creflo Dollors keep growing while our kids fall by the wayside. There is a special place in hell for us a collective that has abandoned its responsibility to its young. God save everyone of us.

Just another iota of information I happen to stumble across in my research.

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Firstly this post is in direct response to the Ras Jabbie of Atus.net and a comment that he made.

Repatriation:

What does it mean to you? Is Repatriation just a word that has no substance for yo like “Reparation”? Or is it solid and concrete, like the pounding of yo heart when you see that person that you truly love. Garvey spoke of in the 20’s and 30’s. I give him all the more respect for the time and the habits and tensions in our society back then (and I always silently wonder if I would have the gumption he had). Yes Garvey was great and we know it well enough. This post is simply a query. Over time the message of Garvey has taken on its own meaning for each of us what is it to you. I’ve seen the eroded an missed understood meaning for others. They think that its about having to go back to Afrika. Garvey ism does preach that, but the immensity of his message is not solely confined to a Hajj (Haj). The realism of it is that we can just up and go back to Afrika(I will get to that later on).

Part of the idea of Garvey ism is not just about traveling physically. the other and frankly the more important part of Repatriation has always been the upliftment of the negro mind state. This was the problem that he saw both in his native Jamaica and the US when he came here. “Back to Afrika” is metaphoric as well as literal. Going back to Afrika more so means going back to the mentality of the Afrika renaissance. the mentality that bore and nurtured the first and best civilizations in the world that we all know and love. And what really is that ideology that I seem so enamoured with. Well there was a common respect of fellow man, but the primary interest of the community was the upliftment of all. There were things like the Afrika constitution (a grouping of unwritten laws that all Afrikan shared, it was easy to pass on because they all came from the same place, it was also ). The unwritten had such fundamental principle ideals such as those conquered in a land so long as they remained that land was still theirs. A conquered ppl still got to practice their traditions.

Continued….

These laws protected all equally, from King to common man, and indentured servant. Yes even the indentured servant, in any community could circumvent/shorten his situation by the quality of his work, or even marrying into the family that he was made to serve. But this is not where it ends, these laws allowed for different religions in one community, they spoke of the parcelling of land, these laws were the basis for the principles of MA’AT which were the building blocks for the Commandments(for some you reading this this encapsulate your moral compass). So what does all this mean to you, nothing/everything. This is all said to illustrate how advanced we were in our infancy.

Now I spoke about getting back to a renaissance of thought. But before I go back to that I need to say this. It makes no sense, and Garvey never intended for anyone to return to Afrika, if that person didn’t have anything to offer Mother Afrika. When he says “anything to offer” he means in the instance of a skill, trade, intellectual challenge or spiritual enrichment.  Garvey although he did speak of a movement he also meant for us to look inward refocus on ourselves, many civic, and racial activist/revolutionist had blue prints which only had our best interest at heart. We are still a people deep rooted in slavery, trained to love someone more than our self, for those of you that offended good. We seem to think emancipation meant Citizenship, it doesn’t. Again if you have nothing to offer Mother Afrika then you are not wanted. can you work is not the most important question, do you want to work, is.

So why go back? For me fight in, struggling in a system that will benefit my children, than to rot in this patriarchal new empire bent on my destruction as a human being. we can make Afrika where ever we are we can seed her and make her flourish, but for that we need desire and know how, and we can never get those thinking like the white man. Unless we can cleanse ourselves of that mindset we will never get home.

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welcome bax.