THE POWERFUL VOICE OF STEVEN BIKO
“Cry Freedom” – Worth a Watch
Not sure how I missed “Cry Freedom,” a movie about Steven Biko and the journalist who made sure his story was published and his name remembered as people became inspired to join the fight to end apartheid. While many of us were alive when South Africa imposed this on their Black citizens, I suspect few of us understood what it meant. Apartheid was second only to slavery in crushing people and depriving them of basic freedoms. Only a movie like this could truly communicate the horror of the illegal imprisonments, the lack of any kind of opportunity, the destruction of homes and the isolation of these communities. Though it is a long movie, it never felt long. You feel uplifted by these stories of bravery and heroism.
While a leader in this movement, Biko knew he had to inspire his people to join him in the struggle, as well as confronting the people who held Bantus in contempt. It is a story as powerful as the ending of slavery in our country, and as such, worthy of your time and interest.
For a long time, the ANC and allied groups worked to remedy the past and heal the breaches, but eventually succumbed to the temptation to go after handouts and retaliation. Long-term farming families (White) were threatened, their places burned or robbed and worse until they were forced out. Unfortunately, in most cases, the Blacks didn’t do such a good job and poverty and food shortages resulted. The pandemic made things worse.
Doing Things the Right Way
Despite the awful treatment—treatment people in the ‘60’s in America never experienced—Biko tried to work through the law and by persistence and patience. He didn’t espouse violence. Slowly, surely, regular people would begin to accept their humanity and the government would be forced to change.
In a lot of ways, this resembles the path that Blacks took in the ‘60’s, where the simple fact of meeting someone of a different color could be transformative. Martin Luther King was our Biko. The goal was to be treated as an equal unless someone of any color stopped deserving that treatment because they hurt others or committed crimes. Peaceful confrontation—that was the way to go.
Over my lifetime, I saw the changes and for the most part, and for most people, we became color-blind. The same thing happened with legitimizing gay unions. First, the people became more accepting and then the government followed with protection.
Violence is BAD
Sounds pretty obvious until you witness in it your own community. I remember violent and scary protests in Walnut Creek with the BLM activists vandalizing and looting, as well as injuring/killing people. If you look back at the previous years in South Africa, this is what happened and the results were increased separation and anger and a devastated economy. This year, the amount of looting, package thefts and home invasions are rising. These acts don’t happen when people work with the system and understand that change takes time. But an important factor is eliminating race consciousness and class envy. We are all just people with a variety of differentiators, and yet, so much more in common. Separating people is wrong, no matter how you do it.
It may be that the Left understands that jealousy and group identity are keys to making everyone look to the government to solve problems. The issue is that it doesn’t work. Ostracism, racism of all types and group-think just make everyone hate.
Let’s all watch this movie and remember that the best solutions may not be fast, but if you want long-lasting, positive changes in the world, working hand in hand (as my parents did in the Equal Rights movement), is the only way to go.
“The power of a movement lies in the fact that it can indeed change the habits of people. This change is not the result of force but of dedication, of moral persuasion.”
— Steve Biko
