Steven Biko Quotes & Sayings

“The most potent weapon of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed.”

“The basic tenet of black consciousness is that the black man must reject all value systems that seek to make him a foreigner in the country of his birth and reduce his basic human dignity.”

“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.”

“Merely by describing yourself as black you have started on a road towards emancipation, you have committed yourself to fight against all forces that seek to use your blackness as a stamp that marks you out as a subservient being.”

“It becomes more necessary to see the truth as it is if you realize that the only vehicle for change are these people who have lost their personality.”

“Black Consciousness is an attitude of the mind and a way of life, the most positive call to emanate from the black world for a long time.”

“You are either alive and proud or you are dead, and when you are dead, you can't care anyway.”

“Being black is not a matter of pigmentation - being black is a reflection of a mental attitude.”

“In time, we shall be in a position to bestow on South Africa the greatest possible gift - a more human face.”

“Black man, you are on your own.”