Black Power Flashcards
The Nation of Islam and the work of Malcolm X.
New approach to civil rights movement)
- 500 members in 1952 to 40,000 by 1962
- publicity by Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X
- most were young
- separatism
- rejected nonviolence
- –impact—
- By the 1970s where there were 75 NOI centres across the US
Changed the way people thought about the civil rights movement)
- suggest that the King approach was not working
- Direct action
- Self defence against whites
- more radical
—impact—
-Reconnected people with their African heritage
-Believed black people are Africans and not Americans
(separatism)
-Rejection of liberal white democracy
-No point integrating with whites
- Helped split the civil rights movement.
- Press portrayed him as dangerous and racist.
Reasons for the growth of Black Power.
Impatience with King)
- high unemployment in the ghetto areas + police brutality
- philosophy of King had not reached them
- young wanted to be more active
Meredith March 1966)
- James Meredith marched from Memphis to Jackson
- encourage voter registration.
- Was shot by sniper
- People enraged by shooting of march
- wanted to take direct action
Votings Rights act
1965 -Ended state literacy tests -made national literacy test -Federal government regulate discrimination Mississippi- 1960 = 6% 1966 = 28% Texas- 1960 = 35% 1966 = 80%
Stokely Carmichael
leader of SNCC
Impact positive)
-phrase “Black Power” popular amongst young activists
-call for black people in this country to unite
Impact negative)
- Black only civil rights movement
- Whites no longer had a role to play for black freedom
- SNCC to carry guns for self defence against whites
- Separtism
The impact of the 1968 Olympic Games
Impact positive: publicity)
- Tommie Smith and John Carlos won the gold and bronze 200m medals
- during US national anthem gave a black power salute
- single black glove and beret and clenched-fist salute
- media highlighted the civil rights issues
- inspired young blacks to join black power groups
- Bought black power to international attention
- Iconic Image
Impact negative)
-Smith and Carlos banned from athlete’s village + sent
back to the USA
-accused of bringing politics into sport +
damaged Olympic spirit.
-received death threats
-no longer able to represent their countries
The impact of the Black Panthers
In 1966, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale set up the Black Panther
Impact positive)
- Had a 10 point manifesto
- Had a large impact on life in the Ghettoes
- Businesses donated money, feee clothes, free food
Impact negative)
- Leaders wanted to end capitalism + bring socialism
- Carried weapons = negative publicity
- violence and shoot-outs which upset white Americans
- 1969 27 killed in shoot-outs with police
The overall impact of the Black Power Movement
Raised the levels of black awareness and self esteem)
- “Black is beautiful” cultural movement
- Made people feel to be proud to be black
- display black culture and celebrate black history.
Raised awareness of social and economic issues)
-Panthers had a 10 point program to improve life in the ghettoes
The cause of race riots especially in the Watts District.
Why did the riots happen?
Problems of city living for black people
-White urban flight
-white people left the cities and facilities deteriorated
-Watts-schools poor + food poisoning was common
-north, 30% unemployed + 30% below poverty line.
Police brutality
- Watts
- police roughly treating black
- 5 day riots
- 34 people had been killed and 4,000 arrested
The impact of race riots especially in the Watts District.
Impact negative)
- –Costs and damage—
- In Watts a six-day riot left 34 dead and 1,000 injured and $40m worth of damage.
- black urban neighborhoods were in ruins.
Reputation of the black civil rights movement)
- Destroyed white liberal support and so harmed blacks
- white backlash
- 73% believed blacks were to blame for the slums
