I quote I believe that South Africa is a country in which black and white should
live together those your words what does it mean it means that I and those
gentlemen in the dock believe that South Africa is a plural society with
contributions to be made by all segments of the community mm-hmm are you familiar
with the language and some of these documents the accused of discussed with
black groups yes in some of those documents were drawn out by me the one
noting with concern and disgust the naked terrorism of the government that
is correct you say naked terrorism do you honestly think that is a valid
statement well I think it is a far more valid statement than the charges against
these men here
really yes really I'm not talking about weds
I'm talking about the violence in which people are better uncharged by police
beat now I'm talking about police firing on unarmed people I'm talking about the
indirect violence you get through starvation in the townships I am talking
about the hopelessness the desolation of the transit camps now I think that all
put together that constitutes more terrorism then the words these men have
spoken here but they stand charged and white society is not charged when you
and others in black consciousness speak you say true leaders have been banned
and imprisoned on Robben Island who you referring to specifically are
specifically we refer to people like Mandela it's a book way these people
like Coburn and Becky and is it not true that the common factor with these people
is that they have advocated violence against the South African government the
common factor with these people is that they have selflessly pushed forward the
struggle of the black men so your answer to this so-called
naked terrorism is to provoke violence in the black community now our movement
seeks to avoid violence but your own words call for direct confrontation
that's right we demand confrontation isn't that a
demand for violence well you and I are now in confrontation
but I see no violence
but nowhere in these documents do you say that the white government is doing
anything good well it does so little good my lord that it is not worth
commenting on but surely that approach in flames racial hatred and anti white
ism my lord blacks are not unaware of the hardships they endure or what the
government is doing to them we want them to stop accepting these hardships to
confront them people must not just give in to the hardships of life they must
find a way even in this environment to to develop hope hope for themselves or
for this country now I think that is what black consciousness is all about
not without any reference to the white man to try and build up a sense of our
own humanity our legitimate place in the world
but why do you use a phrase like black is beautiful because black is commonly
associated with negatives the black markets the black sheep of the family
anything which is supposed to be bad then why do you use the word why call
yourselves black I mean you people are more Brown than black why do you call
yourselves white you people are more pink than white
precisely