Father of black consciousness honoured
SOPHIATOWN – The 19 Days in September: A chronicle of the death of Steve Biko is still showing at the Sophiatown National Heritage House.
This year marks 40 years since the death of Steve Bantu Biko, the father of black consciousness in South Africa.
To honour Biko, who was referred to as perhaps the most important young black leader by the then United States Secretary of State, Cyrys Vance, an exhibition about his death is being held at the Sophiatown National Heritage House.
The exhibition titled 19 Days in September: A chronicle of the death of Steve Biko was compiled by the Donald Woods Foundation and after being shown in Sophiatown, it will be shown in London.
It includes 150 sources including Woods’ book Biko which he wrote after extensively covering events after Biko’s death.
Woods campaigned through media coverage for 19 days after Biko’s death which put pressure on the National Party both domestically and internationally and resulted in an inquest into the detention and death of Biko. He was then forced into exile after his daughter suffered acid burns caused by the Apartheid Security Police.
Although the exhibition included many sources, it was broken up into smaller sections of information printed on corrugated plastic boards. It includes all Woods’ as well as other publications’ articles after Biko’s death. The articles are put into sequence from the time of his death to the day the outcome of the inquest was released.
Coordinators of the event have said the turnout has been surprising and that people usually come in large groups to see the exhibition. The exhibition, which comes at no charge to visitors, will end on 1 November and is available for viewing from 9am to 4pm.
In addition to the exhibition, a screening of Cry Freedom, a film based on Biko’s life and death, will be held on 6 October. The screening will be hosted by the Trevor Huddleston Memorial Centre board at the Sophiatown National Heritage House and is free of charge.
Details: 011 673 1271; www.sophiatownthemix.com
’19 Days in September: a chronicle of Steve Biko’s death.
https://t.co/b4DTyVwqFZ pic.twitter.com/ezmz47tZvx— Sophiatown the Mix (@softown_theMix) October 4, 2017
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