What was Black Power’s contribution to the Civil Rights movement?

Question 1

What was Black Power?

Answer 1

-a political and social movement that emerged in the 1960s and advocated African-American autonomy and self-determination->movement declined in the 1970s

Question 2

Why did the Black Power Movement begin?

Answer 2

-many African-Americans were dissatisfied with Martin Luther King’s slow nonviolent protests
-Malcolm X advocated even violent activism

Question 3

What contribution did the movement make to the civil rights movement?

Answer 3

-increased activism, unity and awareness, increased demands from activists, Olympic awareness through black power symbol, increased membership in groups eg black panthers

Question 4

As an activist, what were the key characteristics of Malcolm X’s activism?

Answer 4

-militancy in order to promote faster progress at first
-post 1964 (left Nation of Islam) he began promoting racial integration and founded the Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU) advocating for Pan-Africanism

Question 5

What were the positive impacts of Black Power?

Answer 5

-greater interest in AA history, music, dress and appearance
-courses were run on AA culture in schools and universities
-powerful new ideas of aesthetics-> ‘Black is beautiful’ became links to afro hairstyles and a move away from trying to copy white American dress
-great publicity for social grievances and inequalities->increased publicity for new confidence in AA identity
-local level communities and groups to promote AA rights and economic activities->1972 a national Black Political Convention was held to urge reform
-shift to identity politics->new type of democratic discussion->impacted other rights such as gay rights and feminism

Question 6

What were the negative impacts of Black Power?

Answer 6

-divisions between white and AA’s increased->led to fears and repression
-association of civil rights with separatism, violence and radicalism alienated modern opinion and weakened support for further extension of civil rights
-1976->MLK was critical of the movement’s failure to see that progress depends on interracial cooperation
-power of the US senate was too great and a considerable amount of police repression was used against the radical leaders

Question 7

What happened to the movement by the mid 1970s?

Answer 7

-by the mid 1970s the movement ceased to exist->diversity of aims was a weakness and the lack of central organisation meant that groups broke away from any organised central movement