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Protestors during the Soweto Uprising in 1976. Source: South African History Online

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Mongane Wally Serote was born in Sophiatown, South Africa, on May 8th, 1944. Before 1955, "Sophiatown was a multiracial township in Johannesburg where writers, musicians, and artist thrived despite the racism and oppression" (Williams). But in 1955, Serote, considered Black according to Apartheid law, was forced to relocate to the impoverished township of Alexandra, as the Apartheid government reserved the area for White South Africans. Serote's early education transpired in Alexandra, where he experienced the harsh realities of poverty firsthand. Economic hardship plagued Serote's upbringing.

He then attended high school at Morris Isaacson High in Soweto. His education happened while the Bantu Education Act of 1953 was active, affecting his education. Black school curriculums shifted to channel Black children toward labor-intensive occupations, depriving them of opportunities to pursue their passions or professional careers.

At the end of his high school career, Serote became involved in the fight against Apartheid by joining the African National Congress. However, in 1960, the Apartheid government banned the ANC from South Africa, which led to the growth of new movements such as the Black Consciousness Movement. The BCM emphasized that Black people must unite and fight against the unjust laws under Apartheid and end the mindset that Black people are less than White people. Serote joined the BCM; however, his contributions to the movement ended abruptly after his arrest in 1969 under the 1967 Terrorism Act.

I found this information in SAHO, in the articles "Biography of Mongane Wally Serote by Matthew Williams" and "Mongane Wally Serote."

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Professor Mongane Wally Serote. Source: Wikipedia

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Authorities detained Serote for nine months, but he began writing poetry once released. Serote had his first poem published in 1969 in a magazine called "The Classic," which connected him with other activists in the BCM. Serote started to work with the Black Consciousness South African Student Organization and helped create the South African Black Theatre. Through the Black Theatre productions, his work with student organizations, and his writing, Serote highlighted Black South Africans' inequalities and promoted breaking free from the idea that Black people are less than white people.

Serote published his first collection of poems titled "Yakhal'inkomo," which means "the cry of cattle at the slaughterhouse" (Peffer 51). The collection received mixed reviews. White critics labeled Serote as a "protest poet," while the Black communities declared him the "son of the people" (Williams). Due to the popularity of "Yakhal'inkomo," Serote won the Ingrid Jonker Poetry Prize. He then published his second collection of poems in 1974 called Tsetlo. Through these collections, Serote "conveyed to his fellow Black Africans that they are not beings meant to serve the needs of white man, but rather are being born equal and free" (Williams).

As a result of Serote's publications, the South African government saw him as a threat. To avoid prosecution, Serote traveled to the United States in 1974. During exile, Serote attended Columbia University and received the Fulbright Scholarship.

Serote kept on writing, and in 1975, he published his third collection, "No Baby Must Weep." Through his writing, he uplifted people by writing that freedom is achievable only if people worked together to fight against Apartheid.

I found this information in Art and the End of Apartheid by John Peffer and SAHO, specifically the article "Biography of Mongane Wally Serote by Matthew Williams."

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The cover of a selected poem collection by Mongane Wally Serote. Source: Amazon

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Serote published his fourth book in 1978, titled "Behold Mama, Flowers." He wrote about how those who oppress others have become dehumanized and that history repeats itself, which indicates that the oppressor will lose to the oppressed. He wrote about the different means of protest, taking up arms, public demonstrations, and gathering together to become a unified force.

Serote graduated from Columbia in 1979 and then traveled to Botswana, where he became a member of the Medu Arts Ensemble. This arts ensemble was "created in 1977 by South African exiles whom sought to promote their African roots and culture through art" (Williams). After reconnecting with other South African activists, Serote rejoined the ANC and helped to overthrow the Apartheid regime.

By 1990, there were large demonstrations against the Apartheid government after people were unjustly prisoned and killed. Due to the protests' violence and new sanctions from the international community, the Apartheid government allowed the ANC to return to South Africa.

Serote returned to South Africa in 1990 and was appointed the Head of the Department of Arts and Culture of the ANC, and he would also serve as a member of the committee for Arts and Culture.

I found this information in an interview between Duncan Brown and Serote in Theoria: A Journal of Social and Political Theory. I also used SAHO, particularly the articles "Biography of Mongane Wally Serote by Matthew Williams" and "Mongane Wally Serote."

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Mongane Wally Serote posing with the prestigious Golden Wreath award on September 4th, 2012. Source: Poetry Foundation.     

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Exploring the Historical Importance and Accomplishments of Mongane Wally Serote

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Exploring the Historical Importance and Accomplishments of Mongane Wally Serote

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Mongane Wally Serote played a significant role through writing in the revolution against Apartheid. Historian John Peffer described him to have "the essential combination of elements characteristic of BC art ... exemplified with lyric clarity in the opening pages of Yakhal'inkomo" (Peffer 51). Serote communicated the suffering of Black South Africans through his writing, for example, in the story "Yakhal'inkomo," which is about cattle at the slaughterhouse. The story is a metaphor about society during Apartheid, how if no one stood up for each other, the slaughtering would not stop. The book also highlights how becoming a terror to yourself is just as dangerous as the slaughterhouse workers, representative of the BCM beliefs. Through messages like these, Serote introduced the ideas of the BCM to many Black South Africans, which inspired these same people to resist and protest Apartheid laws. "For Serote, and other artists associated with Black Consciousness, the idea was, rather, to find ways to escape the confines of the status quo through technical experimentation and a rejection of imagery of black degradation" (Peffer 51-52).

Before the end of Apartheid, Serote wrote three other books, titled "Tsetlo," "No Baby Must Weep," and "Behold Mama, Flowers." He received the Ingrid Jonker Poetry Prize, Golden Wreath Award, Fulbright Scholarship, and many more awards. Serote was also part of the Medu Arts Ensemble, which shared the expression and voice of Black South African artists. The Black community considered Serote the "son of the people" (Williams).

Serote's writing brought much attention to the issues that plagued life for Black South Africans, but he was also an outspoken activist. Serote's "uncompromisingly assertive, anti-polite tone also signaled a radical break with the past" (McDonald 290). Serote changed how Black people in South Africa communicated their issues, encouraging direct discussions about Apartheid.

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Cover of "Yakhal'inkomo," which was heavily modified by white publishing houses. Source: BlankBooks

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According to South African writer Mzamane, Serote's treatment by a White publisher was "shabby" (McDonald 149). This mistreatment was not isolated, as many other writers were "reluctant to have anything to do with white publishers" (McDonald 149). Not only did these publishers mistreat writers, but they also edited books written by Black writers so much that it eventually became a "white" book. For Serote, the white publishers edited the original version into a version acceptable to the Apartheid government, making it difficult for the reader to understand Serote's poetry and poetic persona.

Examining Serote's experience with white publishing houses provides insight into how media censorship in South Africa restricted the public's ability to express themselves and contributed to a more oppressive society.

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Terrorism Act of 1967 in full effect. Source: Sutori

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Arrested Under Apartheid's Terrorism Act: Silencing Dissent in South Africa

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Arrested Under Apartheid's Terrorism Act: Silencing Dissent in South Africa

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The Apartheid government passed the Terrorism Act in 1967, with a claim of wanting to fight and capture "terrorists." However, it became clear that the government passed this act to weaken the anti-apartheid groups. During high school, Serote was part of the ANC and contributed to the BCM movement, which put him in the crosshair of the Apartheid government. Serote was arrested and imprisoned for nine months in 1969.

This act gave police the freedom to arrest innocent people like Serote, who were involved in anti-Apartheid groups. Detained individuals under the Terrorism Act reported that authorities abused and denied them a trial.

Through Serote's imprisonment, we can better understand life in South Africa, which is highly dangerous for Black South Africans; even joining a civil organization could turn you into a "terrorist."

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Artwork by the Medu Art Ensemble represents the resistance of Black South African women during Apartheid. Source: Museum of Modern Art

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Silencing Expression: The Medu Art Ensemble and Apartheid's Oppression of Artists

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Silencing Expression: The Medu Art Ensemble and Apartheid's Oppression of Artists

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The Medu Art Ensemble was "founded in 1977 by artists who had fled South African townships" to escape prosecution (Peffer 74). Serote joined this Art Ensemble after graduating from Columbia. Although Serote was never in South Africa, the existence of the Medu Art Ensemble shows that it was not safe in South Africa for writers and artists to express themselves freely.

The Medu Art Ensemble adds to the information we learned in class about how the Apartheid government censored people who had a different view than theirs, and the sad reality for Black artists was to either stay oppressed and quiet, leave South Africa, or be arrested.