Born 18 December 1946 in King William’s Town, Eastern Cape Died 12 September 1977
“The most potent weapon of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed”
Biko studied medicine at the University of Natal Medical School and began his political career by becoming involved in the multiracial National Union of South African Students, following which he helped found the South African Students’ Organisation (SASO). As a student leader, Biko went on to become the first president of SASO and was well known for his writings, activism and slogan “black is beautiful”.
The early 1970’s saw Biko expelled from the University of Natal as a result of his political activities. He however went on to become the honorary president of the Black People’s Convention (BPC). 1973 saw him being banned by the Apartheid regime, disallowing him from speaking to more than one person at a time. He was also restricted to the King William’s Town magisterial district, resulting in the formation of a number of grassroots organisations based in the Eastern Cape.
Biko and his party played a significant role in organising the protests in the Soweto Uprising in June 1976, where a number of school children were shot. Biko then became a bigger target for the Apartheid regime and following his arrest in September 1976, he died in a Pretoria prison, sparking international outcry about the brutality of the Apartheid regime.
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