Summary of Cry Freedom by John Briley

Chapter 1 and 2:

This story is about South Africa. Donald Woods is an editor of the Daily Dispatch, a journal
in East London. One morning he gets news of a police raid in the black township Crossroads
that lies in Cape Town. Ken Robertson, another journalist, gave him photos of the raid and
he decides to print them. Robertson asked, “Do we dare use them?” he asked because the
government doesn´t allow the news to print something like that especially about police
beating black people. Woods had trained to be a lawyer. Because of that, he hated how the
police treat black people and the brutality against them. Woods also wrote about Steve Biko
and his Black Consciousness. Consequentially, the next day, Dr. Mamphela, who works with
Biko in a clinic, was very angry and then she came to Woods office to spook to him about
the article. After that, she arranged a meeting between them. Woods meets Steven Biko in
an old church in white town. The meeting starts with woods being very uncertain and critical
toured Biko. Bike drove the conversation to exchange of roles. Then the ideas and beliefs
of Bike’s sank into Woods mind. As Woods saw the intelligent of Biko’s reactions and
reasons, he knew that this is a start to something new.

Chapter 3 and 4:

After a while, Biko went with Wood to a clinic far away from Zanempiko, which Biko and
other black doctors have built. Black doctors and black workers run the clinic, only for black
people, funded poorly by black people. Woods still think that black and whites could and
should work together building the country. He wants the black to be treated like witches,
as a right of another human being, not as a privilege given by Whites. Black want to live
their life as they want to, not like what white man like to. At the end of the chapter, Woods
had seen how black people really live in South Africa and how they were traded. Being
banned from the government, Biko wore like what other black workers wear and went to a
black township with Wood. They took a walk through the houses and streets of the black
South Africans. Biko and Wood had a conversation about the detailed frighten and scurry
life of a black child. They talked about the unjust system that they suffer with. Biko side,
“the black child, clever or stupid, are born into this. And, clever or stupid, you will die in it”

Chapter 5 and 6:

Biko and Wood went to eat in Tenjy Mtintso’s home. It was the first time for wood to eat
with a black family. They discussed the system of the country and the history of black people
and black culture. In addition, they talked about the history in which how the white people
came to South Africa and how the black people got to the bad situation they are in
now. After this visit, Wood’s mind has changed, because, for the first time, he saw how
worse the black people of South Africa have to live. And also, he saw how strong they work
together to achieve their goals. By the end of the chapter, Biko and Wood became friends.
Six weeks later Woods gives Tenjy and Mapetla, black educated man and woman, a job at
his newspaper. Woods action was strange for the other employees. After a while, Wood
and Ken attended a soccer match for black people where Biko gave a speech to black people
about the future they need to reach. His speech was very convincing and powerful, all the
crowd cheered. Wood and Ken liked his speech and were convinced by Biko’s ideas for the
country’s future and the black people of South Africa.

Chapter 7 and 8:

The government did not like the fact that a black leader is talking and provoking the black
community against them. Therefore, the police capture Biko after the match. A black
informer had told the police about the speech. In the police office, Captain De Wet held
Biko in a chair and hit him. Biko was anger as he defended himself. After that, two police
officers throw Biko out. Two weeks later in a court in Pretoria, in front of the State
Prosecutor and Judge Regter, Biko was the main witness of two students’ organizations who
arranged a large meeting in support of the new government in Mozambique, Biko was in
the defense said. Biko stood tall and proud and answered all the questions amazing the
attendants during the trial period. Woods helped by printing what happened in the court.
After the court event, Captain De Wet and two other police officers wear masks at night
went to the church that Biko built and destroyed most of the things inside it. Donald Woods
was facing a problem printing the incident in his newspaper because the only witness was
a black man called Dilima. Wood was Afraid for Dilima’s life. Therefore, he did not print
anything. Instead, Woods went to the Minister of Police captain Kruger and speaks with him
about the incident. The minister was collaborator saying that he will fix this problem
because he doesn´t tolerate such thing to happen in his town.

Chapter 9 and 10:

What Wood except from the Minister of Police was wrong because the next day two
policemen come and asked around want to know the name of the witness that Woods told
the Minister about. Woods refused to give them the name. Woods got angry because
Kruger had betrayed him. One night, Woods heard some noise. The two police officers was
harassing Woods black housekeeper Evalina by asking for her legal papers. Woods poled a
gun to them and kicked them from his property. The next day, the police wanted to revenge
from Wood and the blacks. So, Three men kidnaped Mapetla and after a week he was ended
dead. In addition, two days later, Tenjy was arrested without any charges. The most
provoking thing about it was the official explanation of the Mapetla death, which was “he
hanged himself”. But, Biko and Woods did not believe that for once, so Biko demands an
inquest. After all that, the judge closed the case.

Chapter 11 and 12:

Biko was panned from going out said Cape Town. So, one day he drove to speak in an
meeting for black students organization. On the way, the rode was under snooping by cops.
Than the car was stopped by the police. They asked about Biko’s papers without knowing
that he was Biko at first. As they recognize the person is Biko the famous leader, they arrest
him. In prison, they beat him and torture him. They even asked for a doctor to look at Biko.
His body was covered with bruises, his forehead and eyes was seriously injured and he was
hurt on other arias of his body. The doctor recommended that Biko to be put in hospital.
The police did not want that, they did not want anyone to see him like that. So, they put
him in the police hospital in Pretoria. The doctor’s hand was tied; he cannot say or do
anything. By chapter 12, Biko died in unclear manner. After that, Woods felt sad about the
lost of his friend and wanted to save his cause. So, he printed an article titled “Biko Dies In
Custody”. The reason that The Minister of Police announced about Biko’s death was very
week and lacked evidence. He said that Biko starve himself to death. One day after Biko’s
dead Woods, Ken, and Ntsiki, who is the wife of Biko, went to the mortuary office to see
Biko’s body. Biko’s appearance was shocking, his body was tormented with. Ken and
without the workers of the mortuary knowing puts out a camera and toke some photos of
Biko´s body. The other day thousands of black people and friends gathered in Biko’s funeral.
He was buried like how heroes would be buried.

Chapter 13 and 14:

The government wanted to close Woods newspaper, the Daily Dispatch, because of
constant conflict with the government and it constant support for black people like Biko.
They even terror other newspapers from writing like the Daily Dispatch. After that, Wood
decided that the only way to fight is to travel to America. In addition, he sends Biko’s death
photos to England and America demanding the world to investigate. However, the
government stopped him at the airport. Two securities brought him to their office where
Wood was told that he has become a banned citizen and have to stay in the country.in the
warrant, Woods was banned for five years. Even though the police are watching and making
sure that Wood is not writing the book story of Biko’s life that he wanted, Wood believed
that Biko’s ideas must live on. So, after deep consideration of the fact that if he wrote this
book he and his family would be in danger, he decided to escape from South Africa. Woods
wife, Wendy, did not like the idea at first.But, after a tariffing attack on her children by
poisoned shirts send to them by anonyms, Wendy changed her mind on the matter and
decided that their safety is much important to her. In addition, she wants Biko’s ideas to
see the light.

Chapter 15 and 16:

After all the attacks and threats, Wood began to think of a plan to escape the country.
Carefully, Father Kani and Bruce McCullough helped him think that plan. On the New Year
eve of the 31 December, Wood’s plan was in motion. He dressed as a priest. Concealed in
the back seat of Wendy’s car, so that the police watching outside their home cannot know
about him, she drives Woods to King Williams town. From there Wood hitchhiked and
began escaping. In the way, he met Father Kani, Who drove with him to a river. As
scheduled, Wood was supposed to cross the river by 1 January. However, he could not
because of the wideness of the river. Therefore, he went to the edge of the river. By chapter
16, Wood met with Tami, a friend of Biko. Time gladly helped Wood and drove him to the
Telle Bridge, ending their meeting with a promise to meet again in the future. Wood find
himself in front of a locked gate and he had to cross the rivers, suddenly, a Land Rover stop
behind him. Here, he met Moses. Moses work with the postal service, and he offered Wood
a ride to Maseru. At the passport station, Wood was nerves but he tried not to show his
feeling to anyone, after that, he cross the river without any problems. He even danced a
little after he crossed. He drove to Lesotho where he called his family.

Chapter 17 and 18:

The road is almost finished, Wood meet Bruce through the help of Moses who still thinks
that Wood is a priest. They continued to Maseru, where Wood had the chance to talk to the
British acting High Commissioner. He asked helm for help to enter their country. The next
morning, Wood met his family after they also escaped from the country but in a different
path. The United Nation helped them to gain passports and helped them to fly by a privet
plane and pilot. Even though they are happy to be unharmed during this adventure, Wood
felt sad as he looked at the window. He might not see his country again. Nevertheless, he is
happy that his book about Biko will be published.at the end of it all, the sound of thousands
of people singing at Biko’s funeral is clear in his mind.