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“It is imperative that young people be told that we have come a long way, otherwise they are likely to become cynical. A cynical young person … means that he or she has gone from knowing nothing to believing in nothing.”
Maya Angelou, in Till Victory is Won, 2002, p. 1.

This year I was glad that June 16th fell on the day I was teaching my course entitled ‘The History of Black Britain: From Roman Times to Today”. Before the class formally started, I wrote on the whiteboard: “What took place on 16th June 1976 in South Africa i.e. today?” Thankfully, in a class of 17 adult African students and one white student, one student from Nigeria, knew the answer. His response gave me the platform to give a mini African history lesson on the historical significance of that day in the context of the determination of the African majority in South Africa to end white minority domination in that country.

It is not only many of our African youth who do not know the historical significance of the Soweto uprising, but second and third generation Africans born on the African continent and in the Diaspora are oblivious to June 16th i.e. what took place, its achievements and legacy. In short, on that day, thousands of indigenous (black) South African school children as young as 14, demonstrated against the imposition of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in African schools. This action has to be seen in the national context of settler colonialism that had oppressed the African majority, dispossessed them of their land; relegated Africans to second class citizenship and to carry humiliating passes that underpinned the economic oppression of Africans as they served the needs of Europeans (whites) in subordinate positions in the white controlled economy of the mines and manufacturing industries. The corollary of black economic and political subjugation was the dehumanization of African people in the denial of their African languages and imposition of English and Afrikaans as mediums of instruction in the school system.

The conflagration of the uprising was this introduction that acted as a match that lit a powder-keg of deep-seated political, economic and social inequalities structurally embedded in apartheid society. Soweto (an acronym for South West Townships) is located 10 km south west of Johannesburg city centre. In 1976 its population teetered on 1.5 million people living in an area of 87 square kilometres. Only 20% of homes had electricity and 5% had hot water. There was one hospital. Schools numbered 280 and the number of pupils per class numbered approximately 60. Teachers were underpaid and had very little educational resources such as school text books. The average income per month for Sowetans was 100 Rand and the average rent was approximately 40 Rand for a two bed roomed house. However, the average cost of living per month was 145 Rand. In essence, there were profound socio-economic grievances that were peculiar not only to Soweto but other urbanized areas.

In addition to this, we must consider the ideological climate and influences on the students. With the banning of the ANC and PAC in 1960, a new political awakening emerged with the establishment of the South Africa Student Organisation (SASO), led by the vibrant student leader, Steve Biko who set up Black Consciousness (BC) along with others in 1968. The movement breathed life into an African people who had been cowered into submission by the physical and psychological brutality of a racist white state. BC inspired self-confidence, self-empowerment and exhorted African people to seek self-reliance in their own organisational abilities. It drew ideological inspiration from the Black Power movement and the establishment of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense in the USA in the latter part of the 1960s.

BC was also inspired by the industrial militancy of strikers in Durban and elsewhere as indigenous South African workers became more vocal in demanding better wages. The frustrations of urban workers as inflation increased, the fall in the price of gold – all contributed to a spiralling economy and provides the economic and political backdrop to this student led demonstration. Alongside this one cannot ignore the southern regional context. Mozambique, which is on South Africa’s doorstep, attained its independence in 1974 under the dynamic leadership of Samora Machel’s Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (FRELIMO). The SASO organised ‘Viva Frelimo!’ rallies. A year later Angola became independent and the white racist government watched regional developments very nervously fearful that a viral infection of such liberation struggles would cross its borders into South Africa and dangerously infect the African masses.

On 16 June, thousands of indigenous South African students marched to demonstrate their implacable opposition and rejection of Afrikaans and the profound structural injustices in apartheid society. They had organised the demonstration in secret without the knowledge and participation of their school teachers let alone their parents. Consequently June 16 was not a spontaneous revolt. It had been consciously planned by African youth, illustrating the commendable organisational abilities of young people of that time. Fifteen thousand African students congregated in Orlando stadium that day illustrating the power, determination and strength of South African students.

The outcome of that day was a brutal crackdown on peaceful unarmed children by the white state authorities that used terror to achieve its political ends. Over 500 school children were killed. Many were shot in the back, yet despite this, the conflict continued well into 1977. The most famous face is that of the 12 year old schoolboy Hector Pieterson who was picked up and carried in the arms of 18 year old Mbuyisa Makhubo. Sam Nzima who was a black photographer who took the famous photograph of Makhubo carrying the wounded Pieterson with Hector’s sister Anotinette running alongside Makhubo, stunned the world. However, it is contested whether Pieterson was the first casualty as Hastings Ndlovu, a 15 yr old school boy was killed but unlike Pieterson, had no photographer preent to shoot a picture of the boy. Nevertheless, both boys were innocent victims among the many who fell that tragic day.

Today in South Africa, June 16 is commemorated as ‘Youth Day’ and by the member states of the African Union as the ‘Day of the African Child’.

The Soweto uprising must be seen as a tragedy in the unfolding struggle for social justice in the quest for Pan-Africanism. However, the uprising, like the World Cup should also inspire our youth of today, whether they be in the UK, US, Caribbean, Europe or Africa. Whilst considerable apathy and cynicism has taken hold of young people in the West, young people everywhere must be taught African history. The quote from Maya Angelou that begins this article is highly pertinent. African youth, whether they be in Africa or in the Diaspora are presently fixated with the World Cup. Yet, just as they can easily reel off the details about their favourite players, how many know the details of the Soweto uprising? How many know anything about South Africa other than that Nelson Mandela was imprisoned there for 27 years?

African youth should learn that their predecessors were catalysts of change. The youth of Soweto were far from being disinterested in politics. They wanted to express their hatred of apartheid and their defiance against oppressive apartheid instructions and laws. Among the many placards, some read: “Down with Afrikaans”, “Viva Azania” (the new name for South Africa) and “If we must do Afrikaans, Vorster must do Zulu” (Vorster was the Prime Minister of South Africa at the time).

To paraphrase the great Malcolm X, he once said that the ruling elite in our society are like dentists who constantly keep us suffering from tooth ache with the drug novocaine so that we can suffer and bleed peacefully. Since Malcolm spoke with such clarity and at times humour, let us quote him:

“It’s like when you go to the dentist, and the man’s going to take your tooth. You’re going to fight him when he starts pulling. So he squirts some stuff in your jaw called novocaine, to make you think they’re not doing anything to you. So you sit there and ‘cause you’ve got all of that novocaine in your jaw, you suffer peacefully. Blood running all down your jaw, and you don’t know what’s happening. ‘Cause someone has taught you to suffer peacefully.”(From Message to the Grassroots, 1964)

It is imperative that young people today reject the new forms of novocaine given in our society by the powers that be and re-engage with the issues that affect them, their communities and societies in order to know what is happening in order to effect positive change. It is not that there are no issues in the African community to fight for. There are many, from knife crime that disproportionally affects our African youth in UK, to lack of jobs in times when the new coalition government in the UK tell us will get worse before they get better. Then there are bigger international issues that affect our planet, such as climate change and the continued pillage and plunder of the resources of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in a war that has killed over 5 million Congolese since 1998 (almost the same number of Jews who died in the gas chambers of Nazi Germany). Yet, this war continues to supply the minerals for the armed Congolese factions to buy their guns in order to perpetuate the conflict and maintain their power bases in the country. Meanwhile, the war supplies the laptops, mobile phones and computer games that many young people are addicted to – for inside these electronic goods is the mineral coltan that provides the vital component in charging these products.

In the 1980s, I recall as a young student I stuck “Don’t Buy Apartheid Goods!!!” labels on the South African Del Monte cartons of orange juice and tin goods in supermarkets in London and joined in many anti-apartheid demonstrations. Today, there are many issues that African youth can organise around. Demonstrations are but one means of protest and organising for change. Young people in the West must be taught that their lifestyles are often dependent on the exploitation of others across the globe and that there is an alternative to such a life-style that is dependent on mass profits at immoral costs and on the exploitation of cheap human labour.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s hosting of the World Cup shows the world another dimension of Africa from the dismal and negative one that prevails in the Western media. Putting aside the fact that FIFA is making millions, that many indigenous South African small entrepreneurs were hounded away from the opportunity to do business in and around the playing grounds by the South African authorities (this issue makes for another article!!) - the celebrations give Africa and African youth an opportunity to shine. It is apt that the ball which was especially designed for the tournament is called ‘Jabulani’ and means celebration.

The youth of Africa, represented in Ghana’s young football team, the Black Stars along with the thousand of spectators are showing the world Africa’s unbuntu spirit of humanity.

I confess to not being a football enthusiast, largely because I am opposed on political and moral grounds to the millions sports men and women earn, whilst ordinary workers – nurses, porters, cooks, and farmers will never earn in their life time one tenth of what sport men and women earn for one game. However, when sport is not being used by the ruling class to distract the masses, it is as C. L. R. James, the great Trinidadian historian and activist pointed out in his book ‘Beyond A Boundary’ a contestation of power and dignity. James was writing about cricket but his analysis can easily be translated to any sport, in which he argued that “in the rituals of performance and conflict on the field, we are watching not just prowess but politics and psychology at play.” It is this politics and psychology that is fascinating to observe and the passion that often goes with it. I have seen my students – both male and female share their opinions and analysis over the World Cup with such heated conviction and banter.

It is clear that Africans on the continent and in the Diaspora are all behind the Black Stars. They have certainly evoked a Pan-Africanist spirit in people of African descent and in all Africans since their winning against the USA on 26 June. On that day the Black Stars demonstrated their ability to unite a team and in doing so ignited the optimism of African people across the globe. In essence, a very young team, from a country that does not have a quarter of the economic and technological resources of the US, could beat and did beat the US. Their football victory demonstrates that size, resources, training and even money are often very little in comparison to that intangible principle of unity that is then concretized in terms of team spirit, determination, co-operation and focus of mind. Such was the prevailing ethos and unshakeable determination that pervaded the revolutionary struggle of the half a million African slaves who overturned the military might of the French slave-owners in the Haitian revolution and set up the world’s black republic in January 1804. It took the enslaved Africans thirteen years to attain freedom and equality in a protracted and bloody guerrilla struggle to assert their dignity and right to humanity. How many of our youths are also aware of this struggle and victory?

Our African youth around the world must learn from our history that African people have transformed their realities against all odds. They have dreamed dreams believed by detractors and enemies to be mere fantasies. The youth of today must be politically, socially and culturally educated about our past achievements. Such knowledge should inspire them, just as the children of Soweto and the Black Stars must continue to inspire all of us today. If we are inspired by our history, we can collectively act to transform our present realities.

Ama Biney (Dr) is a Pan-Africanist, scholar-activist and journalist