Black Consciousness And The Quest For A True Humanity Summary

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The 20th century illustrates a new approach towards societal values. As the Third World came around, sentiments of self-identity and the struggle with oppression became a war of its own. Steve Biko writes about the issues of racism and how it impacts people’s views, lifestyles and attitudes. He also defends Black Consciousness and offers solutions to eliminate racism from white supremacy. By writing Black Consciousness and the Quest for a True Humanity, Biko is able to draw a powerful South African identity that will lead African Americans to get through oppression. In his writing he states, “… the most powerful weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed” (Biko, 248). The opressor’s main strength is making the oppressed …show more content…

Overall, Malcolm X wants to encourage the oppressed to fight, to really fight and leave those Gandhi tactics behind, “There are 22,000,000 African Americans who are ready to fight for independence right here. When I say fight for independence right here, I don’t mean any non-violent fight, or turn-the-other-cheek fight. Those days are gone. Those days are over” (Malcolm X, 243). As we have already discussed Steve Biko’s approach to oppression, he greatly inputs his ideas of Black Consciousness when he states, “…thinking along lines of Black Consciousness makes the black man see himself as a being complete in himself. It makes him less dependent and more free to express his manhood. At the end of it all he cannot tolerate attempts by anybody to dwarf the significance of his manhood…” (Biko, 249). Gandhi, Beauviore, and Malcolm X all fall under this statement by Biko- it’s all up to you, the oppressed, to attempt change, to act, and to influence. Lastly, Biko reminds us that, “Only [the white man] can tell us how good our performance is and instinctively each of us is at pains to please this powerful, all-knowing master. This is what Black Consciousness seeks to eradicate” (Biko, 250). Although both Malcolm X’s and Gandhi’s ideals differed, they both felt the same way, meaning Gandhi said Hindu is the nationality to follow, while Malcolm X proposed to fight against white oppression. Overall, Gandhi’s fight against the British and Malcolm X’s fight against whites demonstrates that the only way they could fight off oppression was to make Hindus and blacks to believe that their race or ethnicity is the

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