Black Power

What was the Black Power movement?

Influenced by Malcolm X, the Black Power movement consisted of radical groups such as the Black Panther Party, which disagreed with non-violent direct action. They used the Black Power slogan and symbol to show their support.

Who first used the phrase 'black power' which led to the Black Power movement being created?

The phrase 'black power' was first used by Stokely Carmichael in 1966.

What were the aims of the Black Power movement?

Black Power activists had the following 4 primary aims:

• ❖ To reject integration with white Americans and achieve separatism, whereby they would have their own black areas or states.
• ❖ To reject the non-violent tactics and beliefs of the civil rights movement.
• ❖ To solve the social and economic challenges facing African Americans. Instead of addressing these effectively, the main civil rights movement was focused on political issues such as the right to vote.
• ❖ To increase pride in black culture and history, and promote the belief 'black is beautiful'.

Why did the Black Power movement become popular?

4 main factors contributed to the Black Power movement gaining support and popularity:

• ❖ The Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts had not ended racism, discrimination or segregation. Change was seen as happening too slowly, increasing frustration in the black community and especially among the younger generation.
• ❖ Attention was turning away from civil rights to new issues such as the Vietnam War and poverty.
• ❖ Life for those in the ghettos was getting worse, with continued discrimination when it came to education and employment. The civil rights movement, focused on ending segregation in the south, had not addressed these issues.
• ❖ It encouraged black people to be proud of their heritage.

Was the Black Power movement successful?

The Black Power movement achieved 3 main successes:

• ❖ It highlighted the importance of black culture and of taking pride in being black. Afro hairstyles and the wearing of dashikis became more common.
• ❖ In 1967, the National Committee of Negro Churchmen was created.
• ❖ The Black Panther Party implemented successful programmes such as free breakfasts for school children.

What were the limitations of the Black Power movement?

There were 3 main limitations of the Black Power movement:

• ❖ Some argue the movement alienated white people and turned some against the civil rights movement.
• ❖ It divided the civil rights movement between those that followed the traditional non-violent tactics advocated by Martin Luther King, and the more radical groups that supported the Black Power Movement's direct action.
• ❖ The government was less willing to work with the Black Power movement because it was associated with a more radical form of protest.