The movement defined "Black" not just as a racial category, but as a unifying identity for all those oppressed by the apartheid state, including Coloured and Indian South Africans. Key Philosophy: Mental Emancipation

: The movement famously used the slogan "Black is Beautiful" to counter the inferiority complexes instilled by 300 years of colonial and apartheid rule.

The Black Consciousness Movement emerged in the late 1960s during a "political vacuum" when major liberation movements like the ANC and PAC were banned and their leaders imprisoned. It was more than a political strategy; it was an "attitude of mind" and a "way of life".

The core tenet of BCM was that psychological liberation must precede physical liberation.