Sproul Plaza became a public square where students and community members held daily anti-apartheid protests and teach-ins. Students renamed it “Biko Plaza,” after anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko. Biko was a medical student and cofounder of the South African Students’ Organisation (SASO). SASO contributed to the Black Consciousness Movement, which challenged apartheid’s racial divisions and advocated for Black self-determination. Biko was killed by South African police in 1977. His death was especially impactful to the younger generation, students, and those seeking liberatory education. In April 1985, Berkeley students created an underground daily newspaper, Biko Plaza News. The paper circulated daily schedules, safety warnings, calls to action, and global and campus anti-apartheid protest news.
Biko Plaza News often featured global news updates, including activities of anti-apartheid movements on other university campuses. Students learned about various protest tactics and UC Berkeley’s responses to them.
Transcription:
BIKO PLAZA NEWS
Vol. 3, No. 5 Berkeley, California Oct. 10, 1985
OCCUPY biko steps
noon today
The UC regents have consistently ignored student, faculty and staff demands for full divestment. Passive protests have proved ineffective. Take the offensive. Occupy Biko Steps. Reclaim the campus piece by piece.
Date: October 10, 1985
Attribution: Biko Plaza News, October 10, 1985, ff 308s B567, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.