52 pages 1 hour read

Steve Biko

I Write What I Like

Nonfiction | Biography | Adult | Published in 1978

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Before You Read

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Super Short Summary

I Write What I Like, edited by Aelred Stubbs, is a posthumously published collection of nonfiction writings by South African antiapartheid activist Steve Biko, reflecting on his leadership of the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) and presidency of the South African Students’ Organization (SASO) from 1969 to 1972. The book explores Biko's advocacy for Black unity, pride, and empowerment as vital components for ending oppression and achieving racial equality. The book contains discussions of racism, racial segregation, violence, and human rights abuses.

Reviews & Readership

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Review Roundup

Steve Biko's I Write What I Like is heralded for its powerful and articulate exposition of Black Consciousness and anti-apartheid sentiment. Readers praise its incisive critique of systemic racism and its inspirational call for empowerment. However, some critics find the prose dense and occasionally dated. Overall, it remains a seminal work in social and political thought.

Who should read this

Who Should Read I Write What I Like?

Readers who appreciate I Write What I Like by Steve Biko are often engaged with social justice, anti-apartheid history, and African political thought. Comparable works include Nelson Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom and Frantz Fanon's The Wretched of the Earth. This audience values profound, transformative discourse on racial and political liberation.

Recommended

Reading Age

18+years

Book Details

Topics

Race / Racism

History: African

Politics / Government

Themes

Identity: Race

Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice

Society: Politics & Government

Genre

Philosophy

Biography