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History
Ideologically an African nationalist and African socialist, he was at the forefront of a grassroots anti-apartheid campaign known as the Black Consciousness Movement during the late 1960s and 1970s. His ideas were articulated in a series of articles published under the pseudonym Frank Talk.
He campaigned for an end to apartheid and the transition of South Africa toward universal suffrage and a socialist economy. Biko believed that black people needed to rid themselves of any sense of racial inferiority, an idea he expressed by popularizing the slogan "black is beautiful".
The government came to see Biko as a subversive threat and placed him under a banning order in 1973, severely restricting his activities but he remained politically active.
Following his arrest in August 1977, Biko was beaten to death by state security officers. Over 20,000 people attended his funeral.