black power Flashcards
what was black power
- meant different things for different people
how did black power appeal to the ghettos
1964-8: US ghettos erupted
Watt’s Riots caught national attention as it resulted in 34 deaths
state and federal governments investigated into the violence and it was released in 1968, which emphasised the socioeconomic deprivation in ghettos, which had poor schools, housing and education
what were the suggested solutions for helping the problems in the ghetto
- NAACP worked for integrated education, hoping this would provide a better quality of life
- Randolph encouraged unionisation and applied pressure on the government for equal pay and employment
- MLK drew attention to the Chicago Freedom movement
- reports like Kerner report reccommended increased expenditure on ghettos but whites were unwilling to finance improvements
why were white people unwilling to help?
- cold war anti-communism ensured that sympathy with poor was equated with sympathy for communist
- motivated by self interest
- black entry into white neighbourhoods, property prrices plummeted
- didn’t want to pay extra tax
- no government wanted to bear the expense
- percieved as blacks as ‘seeking handouts’
why did ghettos reject the civil rights movement?
- felt like they knew little about ghetto life
- rejected Christianity and non-violence as it had done little for them
what led to the radicalisation of SNCC
1966 - impatient with slow progress
disillusioned by lack of federal protection in Mississippi Freedom Summer
voted to expel whites
1968 - merged with black panthers
what led to the radicalisation of CORE
- 1965 - Floyd McKissick was elected
- said black people need to take up black power
- established ‘freedom houses’ in ghettos to provide information and advice on education, housing and health
- 1968 - whites excluded from membership
what was the National Urban League (NUL) 1968
- launched program to develop economic self-help strategies in ghettos, and they recieved $28m from Nixon but it wasnt enough
what was the Black Panther Movement in 1966
- revolutionary organisation with an ideology of Black nationalism, socialism, armed, self-defense and against police brutality
- monitored actions of police and monitered them
- protected citizens from brutality
- as party grew, police tension grew
how did the Black Panther movement use the media
- 1967 - travelled to Sacramento to protect new legislation about guns
- entered capital building and challenged police with media there
- spoke a lot to media
- felt media portrayed them wrong
- so they created their own newspaper
- published the murder of a 17 year old member
what were the political policies of the Black Panther movement
- end to robbery by capitalists
- decent education that taught true black historuy and their role in present society
- immediate end to police bruality
- freedom to those held in US federal, state, county or city
what were the social policies of the Black Panther movement
- free healthcare
- freedom to determine own destiny
- decent housing
- end to all war of aggression
what were the community programs
- developed over 60 community programs
- being able to survive outside the government
- included free breakfast for children, employment, police patrols, testing for sickle cell anaemia for free
what was patrol the pigs campaign?
aims:
- encourage self-defense
- get rid of white racist police force
- apply black power and independence
- members of the party patrolled black neighbourhoods and questioned any arrests made as most were illegitmate
why was the patrol the pigs campaign successful?
- media attention
- 1967 - set up 35 local groups in 15 states encouraging the 10 point program - helped those in ghettos
- 1968 - encouraged economic and social improvements
- 1969 - media attention gave them funding for free breakfasts by celebrities
- enforced treatment for sickle cell anaemia
- liberation in schools, taught black people their culture and helped encourage their identity
