I Write What I Like: Selected Writings

"The most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed." Like all of Steve Biko's writings, those words testify to the passion, courage, and keen insight that made him one of the most powerful figures in South Africa's struggle against apartheid. They also reflect his conviction that black people in South Africa could not be liberated until they united to break their chains of servitude, a key tenet of the Black Consciousness movement that he helped found.

I Write What I Like contains a selection of Biko's writings from 1969, when he became the president of the South African Students' Organization, to 1972, when he was prohibited from publishing. The collection also includes a preface by Archbishop Desmond Tutu; an introduction by Malusi and Thoko Mpumlwana, who were both involved with Biko in the Black Consciousness movement; a memoir of Biko by Father Aelred Stubbs, his longtime pastor and friend; and a new foreword by Professor Lewis Gordon.

Biko's writings will inspire and educate anyone concerned with issues of racism, postcolonialism, and black nationalism.

Author: Steve Biko
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Published: 09/01/2002
Pages: 240
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.65lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.50w x 0.20d
ISBN13: 9780226048970
ISBN10: 0226048977
BISAC Categories:
- History | Africa | South | Republic of South Africa
- Political Science | Comparative Politics

About the Author
Steve Biko (1946-78) is regarded as the father of the Black Consciousness movement in South Africa and a key figure in bringing about the end of apartheid. He was murdered while in police detention in 1978.