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Summary: A compelling writer on enduring struggle for consciousness
Review: As a clear formulator of a useful, modern, Black Consciousness for South Africans, Biko is unimpeachable - his criticism of liberal whites is fundamentally sound, that a racist system, in its import, taints the actions of everyone who works within the system as racist. Biko is working out the nuts and bolts of his theory of African advancement and affirmation while working on the front lines of the struggle. The intensity of the struggle is captivating, because the risks are great and violence is imminent - but Biko should also be captivating because of what he represents as a modern, critical African intellectual. Criticizing Biko is hard because he was clearly interested, above all, in changing his own people's view of themselves, and re-instilling their necessary sense of self worth. How important to Biko is the cynicism of liberal whites in the present political culture that blacks "may not be doing a good job leading" (xxii)? Is his preferred, future "non-racial" South Africa something that other black leaders sympathize with? I think that we can link his popularity among young blacks inthe apartheid state with a new will to participate in the struggle. Because Biko was so courageous, it is perhaps a hard to get a clear idea of what he saw as the possible end games to the struggle. This book is non-rhetorical and pragmatic, and the fact that Biko's conception of, and motivation of countless blacks in South Africa around, the idea of Black Consciousness make what Biko is talking about here successfully revolutionary. At times blisteringly critical of black church leadrs who he beleive have acquiesced to apartheid, at times bravely courteous, as when he is being tried before a coutroom full of whites and white security officials and he maintains his awesome collectedness and cutting wit as he indites THEM for crimes. Biko is an exciting writer, and his influence on men like Mandela, as well as his model for grassroots political empoerment, make him an important theorist on what can and should happen to make a better future in Arica. His energy and creativity are still highly applicable, even in the new South Africa and beyond in 21st Century Africa.
Rating: 
Summary: A fascinating relic
Review: It's good to see this book back in print. The apartheid era might seem like the distant past, but it wasn't so long ago that so many people were knee-deep in this issue - and so many South Africans were suffering and dying. South Africa today could have used a leader like Steve Biko. His writings show him to be a man of great intelligence, and the accompanying essay by Father Stubbs shows Biko to be a leader of great charisma. Read this book and you'll see what the world lost when Biko was slain.
Rating:
Summary: A fascinating relic
Review: It's good to see this book back in print. The apartheid era might seem like the distant past, but it wasn't so long ago that so many people were knee-deep in this issue - and so many South Africans were suffering and dying. South Africa today could have used a leader like Steve Biko. His writings show him to be a man of great intelligence, and the accompanying essay by Father Stubbs shows Biko to be a leader of great charisma. Read this book and you'll see what the world lost when Biko was slain.
Rating:
Summary: OUT SPOKEN MARTYRE
Review: Steve Biko will always be remembered as one of the most outspoken leaders in South Africa's liberation movement. Martyred at an early age, Biko's refusal to keep silent about apartheid was a thorn in the side of an oppressive and immoral regime. We are privileged to have in our hands a rare collection of Biko's writings spanning from the years 1970 to 1979. They cover a wide variety of topics but the core of each one expresses the ardent desire to throw off the yoke of oppression in its varied forms. Biko gives us a detailed analysis of racism, its impact on Blacks and whites and its destruction of the moral fabric of the society in which it resides. He calls for a Black consciousness where Blacks respect one another and break off the yoke of inferiority. Since his death, the apartheid regime is gone but his words are just as relevent today as they were during his time. Ghosts of the past still haunt South Africa but the spirit of Biko's writings and liefe invoke a sense of hope and pride. Savor this young man's work and allow yourself to be guided by his spirit. This text outlines the philosophical, political and spiritual underpinnings of Steve Biko.
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Summary: Good primer for a humanitarian revolution
Review: Steve Biko's "I Write What I Like" is an excellent look at ta voice who tried to articulate the struggles of his people and to provide workable solutions. The "Frank Talk" articles and his testimony in the court are highlights, but it is also interesting to read the manifesto of the effects of Christianity on African Religion. Very raw stuff of the Malcolm X school. Overall a very moving and inspiring read. Like Ghandhi and his contemporary Nelson Mandela, Steve Biko's writings are those of a revolutionary with a heart.
Rating:
Summary: Good primer for a humanitarian revolution
Review: Steve Biko's "I Write What I Like" is an excellent look at ta voice who tried to articulate the struggles of his people and to provide workable solutions. The "Frank Talk" articles and his testimony in the court are highlights, but it is also interesting to read the manifesto of the effects of Christianity on African Religion. Very raw stuff of the Malcolm X school. Overall a very moving and inspiring read. Like Ghandhi and his contemporary Nelson Mandela, Steve Biko's writings are those of a revolutionary with a heart.
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