Ideastream Week 24
How Long Will This Go On — Rinse, Repeat, Forward, Retreat
“Know your human rights — Be what you come here for”
(The lyrics in the sub-title are from Sting’s iconic song History Will Teach Us Nothing. I’ve provided links to that and South African protest songs at the end of this story.)
We must never let up
I’m on my history soapbox again.
We’re all familiar with the civil rights movement in the States, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream ….” speech in the 1963 March on Washington.
Despite that dream, African Americans are still marginalized and subject to rampant racism.
It’s not my place to discuss another country’s history of discrimination but I won’t be silent on the history of my adopted country where racism was institutionalized and given a name — Apartheid.
We celebrate Youth Day tomorrow, the 44th anniversary of that traumatic yet significant day on 16 June 1976 when Black schoolchildren rose in protest. The image of Hector Pieterson’s lifeless body being carried through the streets of Soweto shocked the world.
Much as the image of George Floyd dying under a policeman’s knee shocked us two weeks ago.
A brief background
Since the apartheid regime came to power in 1940, they had consolidated and institutionalized existing discriminatory and segregatory policies and bills that had been in force since 1859 under the colonial rule of the British Empire.
Prime Minister Dr. HF Verwoerd, who died on the point of a knife-wielding Greek in Parliament in September 1966, had introduced the Bantu Education Act in 1953, when he was Minister for the Department of Native Affairs.
A separate syllabus for Non-Europeans.
“There is no place for the Bantu in the European community above the level of certain forms of labour. Until now he has been subjected to a school system which drew him away from his own community and misled him by showing him green pastures of European society in which he was not allowed to graze.”
The Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) arose in the 60s and was co-founded by Steve Biko, who died at the hands of security police on 12 September 1977. The other founders were Mamphela Ramphele, a medical doctor and political activist who bore him two children, and Barney Pityana, a human rights lawyer and theologian.
The formation of the South African Students Organisation (SASO) together with the BCM raised the political consciousness of many Black students while others joined the wave of anti-apartheid sentiment within the student community.
When the language of Afrikaans alongside English was made compulsory as a medium of instruction in schools in 1974, black students began mobilizing themselves.
Nobody can verify the numbers who marched on 16 June 1976, but estimates vary between 3000 and 10000 students. (The BCM organised the protest though other movements still try to claim the credit.)
176 people died that day leading to international revulsion at the brutality of the apartheid regime.
What saddens me is that we now live under a Black majority-rule democracy, but the brutality of the security forces has not waned — especially under lockdown since 27 March.
I honour the youth of today who continue to push for an end to racism and for equality in all spheres of society. When the marches are over, the real work begins within communities and at the ballot box.
(And please don’t ignore climate justice.)
Soweto Uprising — 16 June 1976
Who could forget The injustice As youth rose Marched in protest Against Afrikaans As the language of learning
Diabolical response from SA Police Rubber bullets Became live ammo Against unarmed schoolchildren
The shots Rang out across the globe
What righteous citizen could turn away Ignore such violation Shocking atrocity
Many overstand today The sacrifice and tears It takes to blaze new trails Through peoples’ fears And lack of understanding
Inspired ideas To open ears A reformed world Shall prevail
No-one will need a passport.
If you haven’t read it, please get yourself a copy of Steve Biko’s I Write What I Like — a collection of his writings.
I share this quote with you:
“Even today, we are still accused of racism. This is a mistake. 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 realise that they are only human, not superior. Same with blacks. They must be made to realise that they are also human, not inferior.” — Steve Biko on Black Consciousness.
Sharing horrendous events in history with others through writing is cathartic yet draining. My favorite energy booster is finding music that speaks to the theme.
Would you care to listen in?
Sting — History Will Teach Us Nothing
The next seven songs were popular in the local protest movement — enjoy!
Mama Africa — Beware Verwoerd
Sipho “Hotstix” Mabuse — Nelson Mandela
(This song was commissioned by the ANC for their first democratic election campaign in 1994.)
Eddy Grant — Gimme Hope Jo Anna
Hugh Masekela — Bring Him Back Home
Prophets of da City — Never Again
Artists United Against Apartheid — Sun City
Peter Gabriel — Biko
Finally, in remembrance of all who gave their lives in the fight for freedom, here is Gabriel’s original version.
(He finally performed this song live in South Africa in 2003 but the video is poor quality.)
A luta continua!
Thank you Marla Bishop for the words you offered in this week’s Poetry Salvage. Perfect timing!
Citizen/World/Righteous/Understanding/Overstand/Passport/Diabolical/ Injustice/Protest/Atrocity
Related Reading:
