Friday, January 18, 2013
"Cry Freedom" Assignment - Part I -
Use the quote below from the movie to help you answer the following questions:
[To obtain or move close to black consciousness] "We demand confrontation, we must teach our people to confront hardships, not just give in to their hardships. We must find a way to develop for ourselves and hope for this country. This is black consciousness".
1. Steven Biko describes the idea of "black consciousness" in Cry Freedom. In your own words explain what you think he meant by this phrase.
2. How do Steven Biko and Donald Woods promote "black consciousness"?
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1) He meant that some coherent, and independent beliefs are necessary to eliminate subservience.
ReplyDelete2) Donald flies to Pretoria to speak of the injuctices that have been afflicted, and moves against blatant descrimination. Biko, meanwhile, has spoken in public arenas, about nonviolent movements towards independence.
Delete1. Steven Biko meant by the phrase, "We demand confrontation, we must teach our people to confront hardships, not just give in to their hardships. We must find a way to develop for ourselves and hope for this country. This is black consciousness" is that pigmentation doesn't mean anything. He stressed to them that they had to liberate themselves mentally as well as physically. Another quote that he says is, "Black Consciousness is an attitude of the mind and a way of life." I though this quote was important because he is basically saying that the way you think of yourself is how you will live your life.
ReplyDelete2.I think that "black consciousness" became more popular because Biko was more than just a symbol and he traveled south africa and told people about it which eventually made it more popular. And the fact that Mr. Woods was in the publishing/ writing business he probably could've put in some thing that had to do with that.
Sites:
http://www.assatashakur.org/forum/shoulders-our-freedom-fighters/1806-black-consciousness-movement-south-africa.html
1. Steven Biko is talking about empowering the black people to stand up for their own rights. Because the black people have so little faith in their own ability, there will never be the hope for their victory over the white people. The white people are winning because they believe they are superior; they believe they deserve the rights they've given themselves; they believe they have the ability to achieve greatness. Biko is saying that strong, unrelenting belief in oneself and oneself's ability is all that is needed for success. Once your will is broken, you are as good as dead. So, take the reins of life and fight for your life! Fight for your country, for you have as much right to be there as the white people.
ReplyDelete2. Stephen Biko speaks in public places about black consciousness, inspiring other blacks to follow in his footsteps to nonviolent resistance to apartheid. Donald Woods flies to Pretoria and supports Biko's views. He also defends his housekeeper against the police, saying that she is not some Bantu woman, she is a female who has her rights. Woods also puts stories in his newspaper about significant figures related to black consciousness being arrested for no justified reason.
1. Steve Biko says that the people need to take steps to change their destiny, rather than accepting it when it hurts them. Biko believed change was possible with the right action steps, and thought that the black people should speak out despite threats and laws. Biko did not become quiet after his banning, but he continued to voice his opinion and strive for change. Biko also wanted black people to create a sense of self and culture rather than believing that they should adopt the “superior” white culture. This was one of the main ideas of black consciousness.
ReplyDelete2. Steven Biko promotes black consciousness through his speeches and events. He helped form the idea of black consciousness and spread it throughout South Africa. Donald Woods also promotes black consciousness through his paper by hiring black people to help write articles and by telling the truth in his articles even if they do not reflect white people well. He also acts according to it’s ideals, treating everyone as a human being and not classifying one race as superior.
1.Steve Biko says that the black people should fight for their freedom, rights, and respect. He believed that black people shouldn’t just accept the harsh treatments and lack of respect that white people gave them, but to do something about it. He believed in confronting the white people not by violence, but by voice. He wanted the white people to hear the black people’s voice. He believed that there was still faith in their country and that one day it would become one beautiful nation. Biko wanted the black people to rise and stand up for what they deserved, even if that means being threatened or beaten. Biko only wanted the best for his country and for his people. Biko never stopped trying to change his country, even when he was banned he never stopped. He would escape and give the black people a little bit of more hope. He wanted the black to remember who they were and where they came from. To never give in to the white people and to always have faith in their country. This is what Steve Biko meant by black consciousness.
ReplyDelete2.Steve Biko created black consciousness and spread the idea to everyone. He gave hope to his people and allowed them to believe in themselves and in their country. He promoted black consciousness by giving speeches in public and going to important events. Donald Woods promoted it by allowing black people to work at his work place while white people are there. He writes the truth about apartheid and the truth about what Biko says in his articles. He flies to Pretoria and supports Biko. He defends his housekeeper from getting arrested and treats the police as they should be treated. He tries sneaking out pictures of Biko to show to the world. These are just some of the things that they did to promote black consciousness.
Emma Trees
ReplyDelete1. When Steve Biko talks about “black consciousness”, he is saying that the black people need to stand up for themselves and for their rights. Biko wants the black people to have a confrontation with the white people and try to get freedom and equality. Even though the black people have been through a lot and are treated badly, Biko wants them to have the courage to rebel and confront the white people.
2. There are many events where Donald Woods and Steve Biko promote “black consciousness”. Some of these events are when Biko speaks publicly at the soccer (football) game and at other places that he travels to. Donald Woods edits the newspaper, and has people write about the treatment of the black people and how unfairly the police act towards them.
1. Black consciousness is the idea that black people must realize and stand up for their rights before they can expect the white community to respect them. He also made it clear though to not be pushed around by anyone else and that it's important to stand their ground. Biko's overall goal was to reach racial equality and if people began to respect each other this goal could be and eventually was reached.
ReplyDelete2. Steve Biko and Donald Woods promote the idea of black consciousness when Mr. Woods hired black people to work at his paper, when Donald's friend took the picture of Biko when he was dead to put on the front page, when Steve would make speeches to hundreds of people with the purpose of empowering them to take action against the people that were putting a stop to racial equality.
1. I think that black consciousness is the idea of equality for all people, no matter what color skin they have. It's the idea that black people should stand up for this freedom, and not just let the white people walk all over them without putting up a fight. If they show the white people that they aren't going to take the unfair treatment anymore, the whites will respect them. Biko is trying to tell blacks that they can stand up for their freedom, and that if someone is brave enough to stand up for what they believe in then they will be respected.
ReplyDelete2. Steven Biko and Donald Woods both promote "black consciousness" on many occasions. Biko promoted this by giving speeches in public about his ideas to try and educate people about how blacks were being treated unfairly and that it needed to stop. Woods promotes black consciousness when he lets black people come to his work and let them have jobs to help him write about whats really going on with the blacks unfair treatment. Also, when he stands up for his maid against the police. And now, he is wanting to leave his home just so that he can publish a book about Biko in order to support him and his ideas about black consciousness.
1) By stating that the people demands "demand confrontation" Steven Biko declares that the patient South Africans will have to stop waiting for God to save them and make things better by themselves. In order to find "hope for [the] country" they will need to make their own way. Apartheid left all colored or black people below the whites. But as Biko suggests, the people often only prolong the situation by being patient and hoping that there will eventually be peace. Although his words can be interpreted violently, it is most likely that Biko suggests that all black and colored people declare that they have had enough and non-violently demand a better life style. This is Black Consciousness in his opinion.
ReplyDelete2) Donald Woods and Steven Biko, although being of different race and class both greatly contribute to the support of black consciousness. Biko blatantly disregards the ban that was forced upon him and speaks to his people, telling them what is necessary to make their live better. He goes so far as to give his life in order to get his opinion out to others. Donald Woods on the other hand changes things in more subtle ways, not so as daring as Biko. Slowly he adds colored culture and people to his daily environment as equals, and goes as far as to protect and write for them, trying to reveal to horrid truth to others.
1. Through this quote, Steven Biko is saying that the black people of South Africa won't get anywhere if they don't do anything. Black consciousness, as I interpreted it, is about simply realizing that you (as a black person) are in an unjust and cruel situation that you must "confront." He is not necessarily asking for violence. His main point is that they cannot fall into the trap of surrender to the white people.
ReplyDelete2. Steven Biko and Donald Woods are constantly promoting "black consciousness" throughout the film. A few examples include speaking in a public arena (Biko), spreading it by word of mouth (Biko/Woods), hiring black people (Woods), trying to put stories showing the brutal treatment of black people on the front page (Woods), and even when Woods stands up for his housekeeper when the police try to interrogate her. Biko's words, since he was so popular at the time, had a large influence over many, and Woods had the power of public press, so his words were heard as well.
1. This quote means that the blacks need to stop accepting their role in South African life as the second-class citizens. They need to stop complying with every single one of the white man’s wishes. The blacks need to realize that they are just as capable as the whites and use that to rise up instead of feeling suppressed and powerless. Once the blacks have done this self reflection, they need to stand up to the white man and confront him in order to change the unjust ways. The only way that South Africa will last is through cooperation between both races.
ReplyDelete2. Stephen Biko and Donald Woods promote “black consciousness” through a number of ways. Firstly, the articles exposing the white government that are run at Woods’ newspaper promote black consciousness by prompting the blacks to think about how much better they deserve. In addition, the corruption reported in these articles would prompt the blacks to think about how much better they would do in such positions. Biko uses his words to promote the idea and motivate crowds of people. Both men promote the idea by challenging the government and living lives of example.
1. In this phrase, Biko is suggesting violence by suggesting confrontation. To him, confrontation is communication and disagreement with no involvement of violence. Black consciousness is a way for the "black people" to stand up to the "white people." This means that they will no longer stand for their homeland being seized and their lives being ruined. This means that they will no longer live in the shadow of the "white man." They believe in justice and equality, not revenge for the horrible things the government of South Africa has done. I say the white government of South Africa because this doesn't apply to all whites, and they know that. Some, such as Donald Woods, believe in standing up for these unjust actions.
ReplyDelete2. Steve Biko and Donald Woods promote black consciousness by speaking publicly of their views (in the case of Biko) or things like bringing "blacks" into a "white work place (in the case of Woods).
1. Steve Biko means that the only way to develop from the terrible state the black people were in was to not cower down/ accept the life the white people wanted them to live. They needed to confront their hardships with refusal and with demand….a demand for freedom, for equality, and for a better life. Furthermore, the black people could not just sit around and wait for this to happen. They needed to develop within themselves the strength to take action and be guided by the hope to save their country.
ReplyDelete2. Steve Biko promoted "black consciousness" through the presentation of ideas in public speeches. He constantly spoke in front of crowds about black empowerment, how they don't deserve the way they are treated, and how action is needed to be taken. He implanted the seed into the heads of blacks that it doesn't have to be the way it is, and that it shouldn't. Donald Woods promoted "black consciousness" by printing what he saw and what he learned with Steve Biko into an article in the newspaper. This gave way for the spread of information of the cruelty blacks endured to the white people.
1. Steve Biko was trying to state that the black people of South Africa, who made up nearly 90% of the population, should have just as much freedom and just as many rights as the whites. They should be given equal opportunity as the whites. While the whites were well-educated, the blacks were allowed to go to the same schools as the white people. Black consciousness allowed black people to be aware of their unfair environment and odds in life. Biko wanted the black community in South Africa to rise up and make a stand against the unruly white leaders. He wanted their voice to be heard loud and clear. He also wanted the issue to gain global attention.
ReplyDelete2. Stephen Biko and Donald Woods promote "black consciousness" through several mediums. Biko promotes his cause by publicly speaking to many black south africans at a soccer match. He tries to get people behind his cause and enrage the blacks. With numbers the sky is the limit. Donald Woods also gets behind "black consciousness" by publishing articles in his newspaper that unveil the horror behind Biko's death as well as reveal the corrupt government of South Africa. He portrays the white leaders to be overbearing and out of control. Biko's rhetoric revitalizes the black community and encourages them to fight for a better life. Donald also makes the blacks think about what they truly deserve.
1. "Black Consciousness" is the idea that in order for the black community to make a stand against white prejudice and the system that holds them down in their own country, they need to stop shying away from confrontation, because the only way to show the white people what black people are capable of is to confront them. By shying away, they are only giving the white's more incentive to increase their grip of dangerous and prejudiced discrimination on the black community.
ReplyDelete2. Steve Biko and Donald Woods presented the idea of black consciousness by going directly against their bannings. These actions (going against bannings) basically helped to spread the idea that standing up and CONFRONTING the white person and their laws was the way to gain freedom. It also helped that Donald Woods was the editor of a major press organization, and Steve Biko a very charismatic speaker who had a natural talent with words.
1. When Steve Biko talks about black consciousness it means the idea that the black people in South Africa need to stand up for their rights and resist the white men. Steve Biko doesn't believe that it is right for blacks to treated inferior to white people. Steve wants the blacks to confront the whites and try to gain freedom, respect, and equality form them. Steve Biko does not ask for them to protest or act in violence but to resist the government and not surrender to apartheid and that they are inferior to whites and always will be. His goal was to create equality and a safer country to live peacefully in.
ReplyDelete2. Steve Biko and Donald Woods promote "black consciousness" in different ways through out the film. Steve biko speaks out at the soccer games and promoted the idea that things dont necessary have to stay the same, change should happen, people should be treated equally. Donald Woods promotes black consciousness by treating them equally and hiring some black people to work at his paper. He has stories on the front page of his paper about the treatment of black people and how they are treated poorly. Donald Woods also promotes the idea of black consciousness when he stands up for his maid as the police question her and her papers. Donald Woods and Steve Biko had a large impact on how people view life there, Donald publishing stories and having a voice in the newspaper, while Steve being adored, loved, and followed by many.
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ReplyDelete1. Steve Biko describes black consciousness as not the integration of black people into the white culture and society but for black people to realize that they have hope for the future and that black and white people should live together with everyone's cultures coexisting. They demand confrontation of the government and the white people to be recognized and realized that they are their own people. When he says that he demands confrontation he means that he demands disagreement he want a meaningful conversation about the topic not just to take a punch and sit. He wants to sit the person down and ask why the person punched him, and whatever the reason is he will not change. The point is not to change the way you are and to give into the white way but to embrace the black culture and for white people to accept them and embrace them as different.
ReplyDelete2.Steve Biko promotes black consciousness by publicly speaking and being a leader of the ANC. Steve Biko also wrote many documents on Black Consciousness to be spread around during the ANC meetings (which we saw him hiding those papers when the police came to his house searching for the documents). Donald Woods promotes black consciousness by writing stories about police brutalities and Steve Biko. Donald Woods also hires black people to show his white workers that the black workers are equal to them.
1) I think the quote"We demand confrontation, we must teach our people to confront hardships, not just give in to their hardships. We must find a way to develop for ourselves and hope for this country. This is black consciousness" is basically saying that the Blacks should not just accept that they are worse or lower than the Whites. They need to realize that they could do the same things as the White people. They need to learn how to stand up to the White people just as Mr. Woods does when he protects his maid. He says that the Blacks should not take over, but they should be treated and thought of as equally as the White people.
ReplyDelete2) Steven Biko and Mr. Woods both promote "Black Conciseness." Steven Biko goes to public places such as the soccer field to give speeches and share his belief on what the Blacks should do. Something else that he unintentionally does is he dies. As a result of his death, people realize what he is trying to do and it makes it mean just that much more. Something that Donald Woods does is write in his newspaper about thing and occurrences that happen between the Blacks and the Whites. Once Steven Biko dies, he goes and visits his body to take pictures and post them all over the world. The Whites lied about the way he died, and as a result, Mr. Woods will post the pictures to show what really happened not only to Steven Biko, but to many other Blacks.
1. Steven Biko presents black consciousness as essentially the value of being more than just 'permitted' to do what the whites do; he wants to have the same social status as the whites and get along with the whites. Biko doesn't want to just change a law and move on. He wants everyone to have an understanding of the situation through open minded verbal confrontation. His strategy is an attempt to gain equality on more than just a physical level.
ReplyDelete2. In the film, Steven Biko promotes black consciousness through strong oration to large audiences. However, his audience limits his outreach, and that's where Woods plays an important role. Woods is a liberal white man, a type one would not typically see at such rally's. Woods' presence at Biko's events was a direct representation/example for black consciousness; it was evidence that it was possible.
1) Steve Biko means that rather than accepting unfair things, blacks must protest against them. That way people will be aware that they are aware of the situation and that things need to change.
ReplyDelete2) Steve Biko and Donald Woods promote black consciousness by protesting peacefully and sacrificing their lives for their cause. The things they are doing are risky for themselves and their families yet they continue to do it because they want to promote black consciousness.
What Steven Biko meant by “Black Consciousness” is that the blacks should have as much of a chance to succeed and try to fix South Africa’s many problems as whites. He believes through this quote that blacks need to fight for a better life for their children and grandchildren. In the second sentence of the quote he asking black to try to find away to succeed themselves, as the Apartheid will not help them at all to do so. When he exclaims “…and hope for this country”(Biko) Biko is saying that he is hoping for a change for the good for all the people of South Africa.
ReplyDeleteSteven Biko and Woods promote “Black Consciousness” through public events and through the press. One of the great public events where “Black Consciousness” was expressed was when Steven Biko gave a speech before the soccer game started. Woods expressed “Black Consciousness” through his newspaper. He defended Steven Biko and other blacks for demanding “Black Consciousness”. He also provided another view for whites and blacks, as the media was controlled very much by the government.
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ReplyDelete1. When Steve Biko talks about black consciousness, he talks about how the black people of South Africa need to stand up to the hardships they endure. Steve Biko believes that South Africa is a divided country between the whites and the blacks. He yearns for this division to dissolve into unification between the two races. By doing so, he promotes non-violent ways of protest from the Black community. He wants them to be aware of "black consciousness" and asks them to question the hardships that the whites have put on them. Steve Biko wants a united community where race is irrelevant and he thinks this can be achieved through Black Consciousness.
ReplyDelete2. Steve Biko and Donald Woods both promote black consciousness through the public; however, Donald Woods shows the white community the hardships the black community face whereas Steven Biko tries to inspire the black community to question the hardships they endure.
1. "Black consciousness" was the idea that Blacks in South Africa deserved equal opportunity as whites because of their full capabilities to have any occupation a white men had. Unfortunately, most whites at the time thought Steve Biko's promotion of "black consciousness" as reverse-racism because they thought they were trying to make whites seem inferior. This simply is not true. Black consciousness only calls for the equality of opportunity in South Africa without demanding any more or less.
ReplyDelete2. Steve Biko and Donald Woods promote "black consciousness" in very different ways. As an oppressed and banned black South African himself, Steve Biko risked his own life promoting "cries of freedom" as the movie title describes from meeting with individuals to speaking in front of thousands. His courage to speak in front of thousands of people occurred during his banning which disallowed him from speaking, being, or interacting with more than person at a time. He eventually became a matyr freedom in South Africa.
As a white man and powerful editor, Donald Woods originally opposed the idea of "black consciousness" that Steve Biko was promoting. He in fact wrote against him calling the idea racist towards to whites. However, after visiting Steve Biko and going to tour the harsh lives of black townships in South Africa during Apartheid, he realized that the system needed to change. Donald Woods began to write about the oppressions going on and became banned. He used the death of his friend Steve Biko to empower his goal and fulfill his legacy of reaching freedom for all in South Africa.
1. I think that in this situation, Biko is talking about how blacks well know and understand that their rights are not equal. Yet he is saying that even with these hardships the blacks cannot give up. They know they are treated poorly yet they have to know that South Africa is their country too. He is saying that they have to confront these problems, not just accept them. They have to stand up for themselves.
ReplyDelete2. Steven Biko and Donald woods promote “black consciousness” letting the truth be known. Biko used his voice to do this. He kept the blacks together and helped them realize who they are and that they are just as equal to the white men. He let them know that this was not just a white man’s country, but the black man’s as well. He gave them hope in standing up and being proud for who they are. In addition, Donald Woods was able to publish articles in the paper that also helped bring awareness to the white community. Wood’s had the newspaper to help him. However, when Biko died and Woods planned to share what really happened to him and that he did not just go on a hunger strike, the whites became nervous what people would do if they knew what was really happening. Yet when we stopped the film last, Woods was planning on publishing a book outside South Africa. We will have to see if he follows through and is able to spread his voice.
Black consciousness is the idea that blacks in South Africa could "confront hardships, not just give in to their(the whites) hardships." This idea of black consciousness is a call for both blacks and whites to be able to not only be seen as equals, but to be able to be part of their individual cultures.
ReplyDeleteSteve Biko supported black consciousness by speaking and motivating his fellow black South Africans to take action and confront the injustices in their country. Donald Woods also supported black consciousness by using his position as editor of a white newspaper to reveal the horrors of apartheid to the general public.
1. I think Steven Biko means by his statement that in order to enhance their way of leaving, the "black" race needs to stand up for what they want. They need to make sure that the government knows that they are unsatisfied and demand that they talk it through. They need to make sure that they are getting the rights and opportunities in order for them to create the best environment for success and future generations.
ReplyDelete2. Steven Biko and Donald Woods promote "black consciousness" throughout the movie in several different ways. Steven spoke out about black consciousness at the soccer game, Donald Woods wrote articles that spoke the truth about what was happening in the townships, he also defended his maid when she was confronted with the police. Woods also contacted the minister of police in order to defend the community center that was attacked, even though nothing was done about it.
1. Steve Biko believed that the blacks in South Africa did not know anything other than being inferior to the whites, and that this was considered "normal". Because of this, Biko promoted black consciousness, to inform the blacks that this should not be "normal", and that the blacks living in South Africa could do everything that the whites living in South Africa could do, even if the government wasn't supportive of it. Biko basically just wanted to spread awareness to the black community about his idea so they could band together and work towards this freedom.
ReplyDelete2. Steve Biko and Donald Woods both promote the idea of "black consciousness" and anti-apartheid ideas through their voices. Specifically, Biko, illegally under his ban (from the South African government), still is brave enough to speak to massive crowds about black consciousness, asking them to truly believe in this idea, and to not accept the fact that they are inferior to the whites. Meanwhile, Woods writes down his ideas and publishes them in his newspaper, so Biko's ideas can be brought to the attention of the whites as well. Even though Woods gets in a lot of trouble from the government because of these articles, Woods knowingly publishes them, because since meeting Biko, he has realized all of the unjust laws and actions the South African government has been enforcing on the blacks. Because of his new perspective, he knows he must speak out, even if that risks his and his family's life.
1. Steven Biko encourages black South Africans to embrace their race and realize their potential. Biko believed that black people should stand up for themselves, but non-violently. He wanted black people to confront the white South Africans and stop the way they were being treated. Steven Biko said that black South Africans had as much right as any other South African to become whatever they wanted, without being discriminated against. He believed in South Africa and the country’s potential for equality throughout every race. Biko never stopped trying to inspire black South Africans to change their lives and change South Africa. Black consciousness was the colored South Africans self-awareness and acceptance of their race in order to realize their potential and claim their rights.
ReplyDelete2. Black consciousness was promoted through speeches and newspaper articles. Steven Biko spoke to large crowds before he was banned, and continued to do so even after he was banned. Many blacks became aware of black consciousness because of Biko’s determination. Biko spead the word about black consciousness to as many black South Africans as he could. Donald Woods promoted black consciousness by taking advantage of his high position with a newspaper. Woods wrote articles about black consciousness and revealed photos that showed what apartheid truly was. Donald Woods also promoted black consciousness in smaller ways. He supported Steven Biko and defended his black housekeeper from the police.