BY JOHN BRILEY

SLIDES BY VICTOR DUTRA

At the beginning of the story, Donald Woods, the chief editor of Daily
Dispatch, which was a liberal newspaper, is sitting in his office when some
pictures, of a police officer beating a woman, comes to his attention.
Woods didn't like the violence between the government and the black
population. Woods was worried with the problems that would happen if he
published those pictures.
Then, he talks about Biko, and we learn that Woods doesn't appreciate Biko's
ideologies and therefore has no problem publishing criticism against him.
At the Beginning of chapter two, Doctor Mamphela Ramphele, a young black
woman, comes to talk with Woods because of what he has published on Biko.
They have a talk and with time, Woods is persuaded to meet Biko.

Woods goes to a black township to see Biko, that is the beginning of a great
friendship between the two men. Biko accepts Woods' offer considering his
education and is driven to a clinic for black people in Zanempilo. He says he created
it because black people have to believe they have the same abilities as the white
people and that they too should believe in themselves.
At he end of chapter three, we learn more about Woods's family. He has a wife
named Wendy and their children are Duncan, Dillon, Gavin and Mary. His wife isn't
very pleased that her husband goes to black township to talk about Black
Consciousness, but she supports him anyway.
Then Biko invites Woods to a black township outside the city to show him the living
conditions imposed by the government. Biko even invites Woods to eat at his place
with his wife, Nitsiki, and some friends, Tenjy Mtintso and his aunt. Woods begins to
change his mind and to agree with Biko's desire for a South Africa where blacks
have the same rights and freedoms as the whites.

In chapter five, Biko asks Woods if he

would be willing to hire two friends of his
to work at the Daily Dispatch. Mapetla
and Tenjy have to cover black news.
Woods co-workers are shocked when
they arrive at the office because they are
the first black people to have worked
there, it is a difficult adjustment.
A few weeks later, Mapetla takes Woods
and his friend Ken to a football match
with all black players. But instead of the
match, Biko made a speech. Saying he
wishes to change the racist mentality of
his country, he wants to build a South
Africa worth living in where black and
white people can live in peace and
harmony together.

Right after Biko's speech Capitain De Wet has a confrontation with Biko and says
that he wants to see him in prison because of his undesired point of view and big
ideas. In court, Judge Regter and Biko have a big talk in which he has the right to
give his point of view, he explains that ( black people must not give in, they must
find ways to develop hope).

Woods prints everything said in court and publishes it in his newspaper. Here on
proving his true support to black people.
In chapter eight, De Wet, from the security police, sabbotages a church during the
night to pretend black people have done it. But Dilima, a woman who was hidden
in the church, sees everything he did. When Woods discover this event, he
immediately goes to Pretonia, to see Kruger, the Minister of Police, who pretend
to fight police illegality. But actually, he doesn't fight illegality as he pretends.

The following day, Kruger sends two men

to force Woods to give the name of the
witness that was in the church. But Woods
didn't say anything and nothing happens
for several weeks. Then he is obliged by
authorities to go to court in Pretonia and
give the name of the witness, but he still
doesn' t say it.
At the beginning of chapter 10, two
policemen come to Wood's house to ask for
the papers of Evalina, the black servant of
the Woods family, but Donald forces them
to leave his property.
The following day, the police take their
revenge. They arrest Tenjy Mtintso and
Mapetla, who dies in Prison, and they arrest
Biko too. They hit him, don't give him food,
and let him die like a dog in custody the
11th September 1977. After that everyone
attends his funeral, and Woods takes
pictures of his body because he wants to
show the way police officer treated Biko
but unfortunately he can't publish them.

So he decides to leave the country but his wife doesn't want to leave all she has.
Then their daughter is attacked by the police and almost dies.
That's the moment they decide to plan their escape. His wife and children go by
car to Lesotho and Donald goes on his way for not being caught.
At the end of the book they all arrive healthy in Lesotho to take a flight to Great
Britain so that Woods can publish his book on political problems in South Africa.