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Post-war American society - AQAThe Black Power movement

New hopes and opportunities were created by economic recovery after World War Two. However, this was also a period of political hysteria. The struggle for civil rights put activism at the forefront of American political life.

Part of HistoryAmerica, 1920-1973

The Black Power movement

Black Power was a political, social and cultural movement. Its advocates belief in black pride, self-sufficiency and freedom. Black Power was another expression of the overall African American struggle for freedom.

Through animation and archive footage explore civil rights and the origins of Black Power.

Malcolm X

Malcolm X being interviewed by reporters in a corridor
Figure caption,
Malcolm X speaks to the press in Washington, DC

The principles of Black Power were inspired by Malcolm X, who was originally a minister in the Nation of Islam, a Muslim organisation. He changed his name from Malcolm Little to Malcolm X to acknowledge that, as an African American, his real name and the identity of his ancestors had been erased when they were enslaved.

Malcolm X initially disagreed with Dr Martin Luther King Jnr and the other advocates of non-violence. In contrast, he believed in armed-self-defence.

Malcolm X was a powerful public speaker. His speeches boldly confronted and the legacy of racism and injustice. He also urged African Americans to take pride in their identity.

In March 1964, Malcolm X left the Nation of Islam. Shortly after, he created the Organization of Afro-American Unity. He was in 1965. However, his ideas and legacy continued.

Malcolm X spoke about the Nation of Islam in The Hate that Hate Produced and encouraged around 15,000 people to join them. He promoted alternative approaches to civil rights than those of Dr King

The popularisation of Black Power

Stokely Carmichael stood behind a lectern giving a speech
Figure caption,
SNCC leader Stokely Carmichael giving a speech in Washington, DC

The civil rights movement had achieved a set of new civil rights laws, and these marked significant progress towards equality. However, these rights had not altered the economic status of most African Americans. The unemployment rate among black Americans was twice the national average. Poverty and powerlessness remained. Frustration developed at the continuing economic gap between black and white Americans and the persistence of racism.

In 1966, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee leader Stokely Carmichael popularised the phrase 鈥楤lack Power鈥 during a speech in Mississippi. Carmichael had initially supported the philosophy and methods of non-violent protest. However, he became after experiencing peaceful protestors being attacked by violent racists.

Carmichael demanded a change in the language and strategy of the movement. Black Power was both a slogan and a way of thinking. Its supporters believed that:

  • black people should work together in solidarity in order to benefit from living in a multiracial society
  • black people needed to have more safety and economic power in their own communities
  • black people should be proud of their heritage
Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists in the air, giving the Black Power salute on an Olympic podeum
Figure caption,
The runners Tommie Smith (centre) and John Carlos (right) giving the Black Power salute during their medal ceremony at the 1968 Olympics

Black Power received support from some high-profile African Americans.

  • The boxer Muhammed Ali became a famous campaigner, especially after he refused to be drafted into the military during the
  • At the 1968 Summer Olympics, Tommie Smith and John Carlos gave the Black Power salute at the 200-metre victory ceremony.
  • The gesture was televised and seen by millions around the world.

The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense

The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was founded by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale in 1966 when they published their Ten-Point Plan The Black Panthers聽believed that non-violent protest would not fully give freedom or to African Americans. They wanted universal employment, good housing, and better schools and education in black communities. They also addressed safety and police brutality by using their constitutional right to openly carry a weapon and defend themselves and their communities against attacks and violence.

Like Dr King and many civil rights activists, the Black Panthers became targets of J Edgar Hoover, the director of the The FBI set up a counterintelligence programme called COINTELPRO. Techniques such as spying and were used against them. Unsubstantiated criminal charges were also raised against them.

The assassination of Dr King

  • Economic and social injustice became more of a focus of Dr King鈥檚 work.
  • He was also outspoken in his criticism of American involvement and policies in the Vietnam War.
  • In April 1968, Dr King visited Memphis, Tennessee, to support black sanitation workers who were striking for equal treatment with white workers.
  • On 4 April, he was assassinated while he stood on the balcony of his hotel room.
  • James Earl Ray, a white racist, was arrested and imprisoned for his murder.