23 Steven Biko Quotes for You to Enjoy

Steven Biko

South African Activist

Born: Dec 18, 1946

Died: Sep 12, 1977

Black Life Man Oppressor People You

Related authors: Cesar Chavez Emmeline Pankhurst Gloria Steinem Harriet Tubman Malcolm X Noam Chomsky Sojourner Truth Susan B. Anthony

The most potent weapon of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed. Steven Biko

Mind Oppressor Weapon Potent Most Oppressed

Tradition has it that whenever a group of people has tasted the lovely fruits of wealth, security, and prestige, it begins to find it more comfortable to believe in the obvious lie and accept that it alone is entitled to privilege. Steven Biko

If one is free at heart, no man-made chains can bind one to servitude, but if one's mind is so manipulated and controlled by the oppressor, then there will be nothing the oppressed can do to scare his powerful masters. Steven Biko

Heart Mind Will Free Oppressor Nothing Scare Powerful Masters His Oppressed Man-Made Controlled Manipulated Then Chains Bind Servitude

A people without a positive history is like a vehicle without an engine. Steven Biko

Positive History People Vehicle Like Without Engine

You are either alive and proud or you are dead, and when you are dead, you can't care anyway. Steven Biko

You Care Alive Dead Proud Anyway Either

Merely by describing yourself as black you have started on a road towards emancipation, you have committed yourself to fight against all forces that seek to use your blackness as a stamp that marks you out as a subservient being. Steven Biko

In a bid for change, we have to take off our coats, be prepared to lose our comfort and security, our jobs and positions of prestige, and our families... A struggle without casualties is no struggle. Steven Biko

Change Struggle Lose Positions Our Prestige Jobs Security Be Prepared Casualties Take Bid Comfort Without Off Families Coats Prepared

Black Consciousness seeks to infuse the black community with a new-found pride in themselves, their efforts, their value systems, their culture, their religion and their outlook to life. Steven Biko

Life Religion Culture Pride Value Black Community Value Systems Systems Black Community Seeks Outlook Efforts Infuse Themselves Consciousness

The basic tenet of black consciousness is that the black man must reject all value systems that seek to make him a foreigner in the country of his birth and reduce his basic human dignity. Steven Biko

The fact that apartheid has been tied up with white supremacy, capitalist exploitation, and deliberate oppression makes the problem much more complex. Material want is bad enough, but coupled with spiritual poverty, it kills. Steven Biko

Spiritual Oppression Problem Poverty Exploitation White Enough Complex Has-Been Bad Deliberate More Fact Supremacy Coupled Tied Makes Material Been Up Want Apartheid Much Capitalist

The black man has become a shell, a shadow of man, completely defeated, drowning in his own misery, a slave, an ox bearing the yoke of oppression with sheepish timidity. Steven Biko

Man Oppression Black Become Own Shadow Bearing Misery Drowning Shell His Timidity Yoke Ox Defeated Slave

A Black man should be more independent and depend on himself for his freedom and not to take it for granted that someone would lead him to it. The blacks are tired of standing at the touchlines to witness a game that they should be playing. They want to do things for themselves and all by themselves. Steven Biko

Freedom Tired Game Man Witness Black Depend Independent Would Someone Blacks More Take Lead Him Himself His Want Themselves Should Granted Standing Things Playing

Being black is not a matter of pigmentation - being black is a reflection of a mental attitude. Steven Biko

Attitude Matter Reflection Black Mental Mental Attitude Being

We know that all interracial groups in South Africa are relationships in which whites are superior, blacks inferior. So as a prelude, whites must be made to realize that they are only human, not superior. Same with blacks. They must be made to realize that they are also human, not inferior. Steven Biko

Made Superior South Africa Relationships Must Blacks Only Know Also South Inferior Same Human Africa Which Realize Prelude Whites Groups

We are concerned with that curious bunch of nonconformists who explain their participation in negative terms: that bunch of do-gooders that goes under all sorts of names - liberals, leftists, etc. These are the people who argue that they are not responsible for white racism and the country's 'inhumanity to the black man.' Steven Biko

Apartheid - both petty and grand - is obviously evil. Nothing can justify the arrogant assumption that a clique of foreigners has the right to decide on the lives of a majority. Steven Biko

Evil Arrogant Nothing Petty Assumption Both Majority Obviously Foreigners Clique Decide Grand Apartheid Justify Lives Right

The great powers of the world may have done wonders in giving the world an industrial look, but the great gift still has to come from Africa - giving the world a more human face. Steven Biko

Great World Gift Face Giving Great Gift More Come Look Industrial Powers Still Done May Wonders Human Africa Human Face

I entered the University of Natal as a preliminary-year student in 1966 and stayed on to June 1972, when I was expelled from the university. I was then doing third-year medicine. Steven Biko

Medicine Entered Stayed Student Doing June Expelled Then University

I would describe and I have described myself to people who ask as a freedom fighter. Steven Biko

Myself Freedom People Fighter Would Ask Who Describe

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