(iii) It is essential for the black students to elevate the level of consciousness of the black community by promoting black awareness, pride, achievement and capabilities. In the long run this will prove far more valuable than the sentimental and idealistic attitude of perpetually trying to "bridge the gap" between races.
The confusion which the formation of SASO has caused among liberal whites is considerable and needs to be looked at carefully. The problem is that believing in nonracism seems to be contradicted by an acceptance of a black-only organization. But the essence of the matter is that NUSAS was founded on white initiative, is financed by white money and reflects the opinions of the majority of its members who are white. SASO, on the other hand, also faces considerable problems. The purpose of SASO would seem in the first instance to be to build up among black students a Black Consciousness, and within this framework to confront the white power structures. Initially the confrontation is with the liberal structures, which are both the most accessible and the easiest to attack on the grounds of their middle-of-the-road nature. Any group seeking confrontation needs also to establish clear polarities, and the middle-of-the-road section needs to be eliminated in order to bring about the confrontation. So it should not be surprising that the first attack by SASO should be directed against NUSAS rather than the more extreme right-wing organizations.
SASO have realized that in South Africa today it is impossible to live the nonracial ideal and that it is therefore better to withdraw in order to achieve congruence between program and reality.
Nettleton's exposition admirably summed up the issue,
and an equally admirable exposition of Black Consciousness came
also from Barney Pityana, Steve Biko's chief
lieutenant in the SASO movement. Typically Biko took a
back seat at this early stage, feeling that if he kept a low
public profile initially, this would
(copyright 1978 by Donald Woods)