Long Walk to Freedom

Throughout Long Walk to Freedom, Mandela takes the reader through the various political and philosophical thought movements of the early 20th century in South Africa and explores how each contributed to the eventual fall of apartheid in 1994.

How does the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) fit into Mandela’s narrative of the anti-apartheid movement? Before addressing this question, it may be helpful to consider these points:

• What are the defining features of the BCM? What are its origins?
• What historical events serve as part of the impetus for the BCM’s creation?
• How is the BCM received by the people of South Africa? Consider how Black and white citizens react differently to the movement.
• What is the effect of the BCM in terms of mobilization and education of South African citizens? What is its political impact?

Teaching Suggestion: The BCM was a sociopolitical movement that began in the 1960s. A historical event that preceded its creation was the banning of the ANC, which left a power vacuum in South African society. The BCM’s primary ideology involved putting the principles of Africanism into action. Though the BCM as an organization did not contribute directly to the fall of apartheid, its ideas encouraged South Africans to take pride in their culture and created a sense of empowerment in overthrowing imperialist European forces of apartheid.