Happy birthday, Steve Biko: Five famous quotes from SA’s struggle icon

Wednesday, 18 December, marks what would have been the 73rd birthday of Steve Biko, a struggle icon celebrated for his life sacrifice and the vision he lived and died for.

Who killed Steve Biko?

42 years later and many people around the world still can’t fathom how Steve Biko could’ve met his death in the custody of the police.

It remains a mystery to this day but the unfortunate event did not do much to erase his impact in the memory of those he inspired.

Today, 18 December 2019, marks what would have been the 73rd birthday anniversary of #SteveBiko. We remember and celebrate Biko for his life sacrifice and the vision he lived and died for: restoring people to their true humanity. #SteveBiko73 #Biko73Years pic.twitter.com/06XvuHKfZZ

— SteveBikoFoundation (@BikoFoundation) December 18, 2019

The apartheid Ministry of Justice and Police attributed Biko’s death to a hunger strike the leader went on while incarcerated. However, it is believed that he was murdered at the Kgosi Mampuru Correctional facility (which was previously known as Pretoria Central prison).

Five famous quotes from a struggle icon

Biko was a leader of the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) and he was also very instrumental in freeing black students from the chains of mental oppression.

The formation of the movement was largely inspired by the events that took place after the Sharpeville massacre in 1960.

Decades after his passing, we still find ourselves looking back at his speeches and writings, marking the words that still ring loud to this day.

This is one of the reasons why Biko remains an important and powerful figure in the history of South Africa. His most popular and widely used quote is the one about the mind of the oppressed.

Here are five famous quotes from the BCM leader that still ring loud in contemporary South Africa.

“Being black is not a matter of pigmentation – being black is a reflection of a mental attitude.”

“Black Consciousness is an attitude of the mind and a way of life, the most positive call to emanate from the black world for a long time.”

“It becomes more necessary to see the truth as it is if you realize that the only vehicle for change are these people who have lost their personality.”

“The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.”

“It is better to die for an idea that will live, than to live for an idea that will die” …