Talk:Steve Biko/GA1

GA Review

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Reviewer: HaEr48 (talk · contribs) 02:51, 13 June 2017 (UTC)

Will review this. HaEr48 (talk) 02:51, 13 June 2017 (UTC)

• Many thanks, HaEr48. Midnightblueowl (talk) 12:07, 14 June 2017 (UTC)

• Is his full name Stephen Bantu Biko (used in lead/infobox) or Bantu Stephen Biko (used in Early life section and appears on the grave)?

• Reliable sources (and the grave) say the latter, so I have ensured that that is standardised. Midnightblueowl (talk) 12:07, 14 June 2017 (UTC)

• “her family forced to subside”: I don’t think “to subside” makes sense here

• I've replaced it with "forced to live"; do you think that that is better? Midnightblueowl (talk) 12:14, 14 June 2017 (UTC)

• Yup I think that's better HaEr48 (talk) 02:49, 15 June 2017 (UTC)

• “ In 1972, the University of Natal barred him from further study” : this sounds coming out-of-nowhere. Does the source say why? Perhaps because of his activism or his falling grades?

• It was the failing grades. I've added "As a result of his poor academic performance," to the start of this sentence. Midnightblueowl (talk) 12:00, 16 June 2017 (UTC)

• “Biko developed SASO's ideology of "Black Consciousness" in conversation with other black student leaders”: please describe what this ideology of Black Consciousness is? The phrase is used a lot of times, but it's unclear what it entails.

• Added; although I have not gone into too much detail at this juncture given that the "Ideology" section already does this. Midnightblueowl (talk) 14:29, 16 June 2017 (UTC)

Your update is fine, I think. The reader is not left hanging what this Black Ideology means.

• “In March 1973 the government placed a banning order on Biko”: also sounds abrupt. Why did he get this order?

• I've added "Seeking to disrupt his political activities," to the beginning of the sentence. Midnightblueowl (talk) 12:03, 16 June 2017 (UTC)

• “The banning order prevented Biko from working officially for the BC Programs”: Why is “Programs” capitalized? Also, might be worth it to use the full form of BC since this acronym hasn’t been used for a while at this point.

• The main source cited (Mangcu) capitalises these as "Black Community Programmes" so I have followed that example. I have made sure that the full form is used. Midnightblueowl (talk) 14:14, 16 June 2017 (UTC)

• “from the BCM headquarters in Leopold Street”: use “Black Consciousness Movement (BCM)”, so that people know what this acronym stands for?

• Well spotted. Changed. Midnightblueowl (talk) 13:11, 14 June 2017 (UTC)

• “He helped to revive the Ginsberg Crèche”: what is the Ginsberg Crèche?

• I've expanded this to say "He helped to revive the Ginsberg Crèche for the children of working mothers". Midnightblueowl (talk) 11:58, 16 June 2017 (UTC)

Ah I just realized that Crèche means day care; is it a common word in english? I think that explanation helps. HaEr48 (talk) 07:06, 17 June 2017 (UTC)

I'd say that it was a common word in English, yes, but the additional explanation certainly does no harm. Midnightblueowl (talk) 10:41, 19 June 2017 (UTC)

• “Near King William's Town they established”: who are “they”?

• Changed to "the BCM". Midnightblueowl (talk) 12:14, 14 June 2017 (UTC)

• “failed his Praktiese Afrikaans module.”: translate/descibe what Praktiese Afrikaans is?

• The sources used the Afrikaans but I agree that it would make more sense if rendered in English. I've translated it. Midnightblueowl (talk) 12:34, 14 June 2017 (UTC)

• “Ntskiki bore Biko a second child, this time a son “: you haven’t mentioned the first child,saying “a second child, this time a son” is awkward. Maybe mention the first child in too in the preceding prose? Also, the wife name is sometimes spelled “Ntskiki” and sometimes “Ntsiki”, please clarify

• "Ntskiki" is a spelling error. Corrected. Midnightblueowl (talk) 11:58, 16 June 2017 (UTC)

• How about the first child? HaEr48 (talk) 07:06, 17 June 2017 (UTC)

• The first child is already mentioned in the final paragraph of "Founding the South African Students' Organisation: 1968–72". Midnightblueowl (talk) 19:12, 19 June 2017 (UTC)

• “I would like to see groups such as the ANC, PAC, and Black Consciousness”: Maybe give full form and link for ANC in this first mention.

• Good idea. I've actually added it not in this particular quote but in the explanation that follows in the sentence afterwards; there we are able to use "African National Congress" rather than just "ANC". Midnightblueowl (talk) 12:59, 14 June 2017 (UTC)

• "One Azania, One Nation": explain/link Azania, or explain what this slogan means?

• There is already a link to Azania here. I also wonder if a brief explanation might be in order, but the sources used do not actually specify any particular connection between Biko and this term, which is a shame. Midnightblueowl (talk) 14:04, 16 June 2017 (UTC)

• Yeah, I went and added the link

• “ the women whom he had sexual relations with, with the latter including white women”: not sure whether “the latter” fits here?

• I've reworded this sentence as "He displayed no racial prejudice when it came to the women whom he had sexual relations with, sleeping with both black and white women.". Midnightblueowl (talk) 12:30, 14 June 2017 (UTC)

• Biko also came to be closely associated with Fanon: add a brief description of Fanon? E.g. “Martinique-born author Franz Fanon”

• I see what you mean, but Fanon has already been mentioned several times at earlier points in the article. What I have done is introduced Fanon as "Martinique-born" at an earlier point in the article rather than at the position that you quote. Do you think that this works? Midnightblueowl (talk) 12:14, 14 June 2017 (UTC)

• Yeah I think it's fine. HaEr48 (talk) 02:49, 15 June 2017 (UTC)

Overall, interesting & informative article. Generally well-written (subject to comment above), well sourced, no OR or copyvio detected, good coverage, neutral, stable. Illustrated by image and the fair use rationale for the infobox picture is valid. HaEr48 (talk) 02:18, 14 June 2017 (UTC)

Thanks for the update, I struck the comments that I consider addressed. HaEr48 (talk) 02:49, 15 June 2017 (UTC)

Thanks HaEr48. Let me know if there I anything else. Midnightblueowl (talk) 14:29, 16 June 2017 (UTC)

@Midnightblueowl: Thanks. Just one comment remaining about the first child. HaEr48 (talk) 07:06, 17 June 2017 (UTC)

@HaEr48: - I've added my responses. Midnightblueowl (talk) 10:41, 19 June 2017 (UTC)

@Midnightblueowl: Thanks. I considered all the above comments addressed. I went through the article one more time and noticed that the lead says Biko used the term "blacks" in reference not just to Bantu-speaking Africans but also Coloureds and Indians. This is implied somewhat in several places in the article, but the article never explicitly describe this view. Can we add it, with source? Sorry for sneaking this comment at the end. HaEr48 (talk) 02:33, 21 June 2017 (UTC)

@HaEr48: - a good idea. I have added a short sentence on this issue when first introducing Black Consciousness into the main part of the article. Midnightblueowl (talk) 10:32, 22 June 2017 (UTC)

@Midnightblueowl: thank you for the update! I'm passing this GA nomination. Thanks for this high-quality informative article! HaEr48 (talk) 10:39, 22 June 2017 (UTC)