Cry Freedom by

fbustillo — 2025-06-08 20:50:33 UTC

Steve Biko is one of the most important characters in the story. He is a Black South African leader and the founder of the Black Consciousness Movement. What makes him so inspiring is that he fights for the rights and dignity of Black people during apartheid, even though it’s super dangerous for him. He is clever, confident, and speaks with a lot of passion. He believes that Black people should be proud of who they are and stop seeing themselves as less than white people.

fbustillo — 2025-06-08 20:55:58 UTC

Donald Woods is a white South African journalist and editor of the Daily Dispatch newspaper. At first, he doesn’t really agree with Biko’s ideas and even writes negative things about him. But when he finally meets Steve in person, he realizes that he was wrong and starts to understand what apartheid was really doing to the country. Woods changes a lot throughout the story. He goes from being someone who’s unsure about getting involved to someone who risks everything to tell the truth.
After Biko’s death, Donald becomes super determined to show the world what really happened. He even decides to escape the country because it’s the only way to publish Steve’s story.

Donald is brave, just like Biko, and he uses his voice and position to help fight against the injustice of apartheid. I think his character shows how people can change and do the right thing, even when it’s hard.

fbustillo — 2025-06-08 21:03:42 UTC

Apartheid means racial segregation, which is basically racism, but in a form of state policy. What I mean by this is that Black people at that time in South Africa weren't slaves, but there were many things they couldn't do. The state had "assigned" places, schools, groups, and activities that Black people could use or do, and others they couldn't, because they were only for white people.

fbustillo — 2025-06-08 21:08:38 UTC

Wendy is Donald Woods’s wife, and even though she’s not as famous as Steve or Donald, she plays an important role. She’s strong, supportive, and loving. Even when her husband starts getting threats and the police are watching their house, she stands by him. She also has to take care of their children and keep them safe, which isn’t easy when the government is against them.
What I admire about Wendy is that she stays soothe and courageous. She helps Donald when he’s planning to escape South Africa, and she doesn’t give up even when everything feels wild. She might not be in the spotlight, but her strength and loyalty make her a very important character in the story.