In the tumultuous 1970s, South Africa was in the grip of apartheid, a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination. Amidst this oppressive landscape, a young Steve Biko emerged as a powerful voice for Black liberation.

Born in 1946 in King William's Town, Eastern Cape, Biko grew up in a poor Black family. He became involved in the anti-apartheid movement while studying medicine at the University of Natal....