Activist and businesswoman Dr Mamphela Ramphele has urged South Africans to demand for an end to racism and gender inequality.

Ramphele was paying tribute to Steve Biko as the country marks 43 years since his death in detention during the apartheid era.

Ramphele says just like Biko launched a movement of Black consciousness, South Africans now have the responsibility to unite and form a national consciousness movement for the nation to heal:

“The time for a national consciousness movement has come. We the people need to lead the charge to demand the healing of our bleeding nation to eradicate racism and sexism.”

“What we can offer Bantu Biko, is to complete the freedom struggle he sacrificed his life for to enable every citizen to demand their rights and assume their responsibilities to give this world a more human face.”

In this video below, Reverend Al Sharpton  implored black people to celebrate their blackness like the late Stephen Bantubonke Biko:

Meanwhile United States (US) human rights activist and the face of #BlackLivesMatter campaign, Reverend Al Sharpton, has implored black people across the world to be proud and celebrate their blackness like the late Black Consciousness Movement leader Biko did.

Sharpton was delivering the 20th annual Steve Biko Memorial Lecture.

Al Sharpton says black people should not allow themselves to be treated as objects of ridicule.