Historical Background
"Freedom is never given; it is won." - A. Philip Randolph
Historical background
The Black Power Movement formed as a result of unsatisfied working class African Americans who argued that the Civil Rights Movement efforts were only catering to elite African Americans who could easily assimilate into white society. The goal of the Black Power Movement was to create a strong racial identity for African Americans. African Americans as a whole did not believe the laws passed during the Civil Rights Movement were reaching black communities and the non-violent approach to desegregation was ineffective. African American communities wanted racial attitudes in society to change and a new socioeconomic system that included all African Americans regardless of class.
Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael and Huey Newton were some of the famous leaders of the Black Power Movement that advocated for embracing African American identity and establishing all black political and cultural institutions. Unlike the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Power Movement used violence as a tactic when violence was deemed necessary. Martin Luther King Jr., a strong voice and leader of the Civil Rights Movement, did not reach out to the African American youths. The idea of no longer using peaceful protests caused many riots to break out like the Detroit Riots of 1967. The movement helped create many groups advocating for "black power"; The Black Panther Party being the most well known. W. E. B. DuBois had a strong philosophy that was rooted in communism which influenced many organizations in the black power movement. The Black Power Movement gave African American communities the strength and confidence to embrace their black culture and identity which left white communities feeling threatened.
Malcolm X, Stokely Carmichael and Huey Newton were some of the famous leaders of the Black Power Movement that advocated for embracing African American identity and establishing all black political and cultural institutions. Unlike the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Power Movement used violence as a tactic when violence was deemed necessary. Martin Luther King Jr., a strong voice and leader of the Civil Rights Movement, did not reach out to the African American youths. The idea of no longer using peaceful protests caused many riots to break out like the Detroit Riots of 1967. The movement helped create many groups advocating for "black power"; The Black Panther Party being the most well known. W. E. B. DuBois had a strong philosophy that was rooted in communism which influenced many organizations in the black power movement. The Black Power Movement gave African American communities the strength and confidence to embrace their black culture and identity which left white communities feeling threatened.
Additional visuals
The image above depicts the rules of the Black Panther Party and how members must conduct themselves. When rules were broken, members were faced with punishments that were determined by higher ranking leaders. This document shows the devotion that all Black Panther Party members had. They took their jobs very seriously and wanted to hold respect to their names.
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The Black Panther Party used many forms of protest. This flyer is an example of the Panthers calling for a change in the school systems. This poster was created by a group stationed in Harlem, NY demanding that schools teach "HERITAGE and HISTORY". It also asks for more African American involvement in school systems.
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This is the philosophy that the SNCC is based on. The page comes from a book written by the SNCC that explains the organization's birth, structure, philosophy, and funding.
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The speech (left) was delivered by Stokely Carmichael at UC Berkeley in October of 1966.
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