
For decades, civil rights leaders fought for equality for African Americans, but there were two different types of protest that existed, peaceful and militant. In Stokely Carmichael’s speech “Black Power,” we can better understand the background for why he stood up for the black power movement when other leaders in the civil rights movement feared the effect it would have on their fight for freedom. Stokely Carmichael stood by black power because he was outraged with the stagnation of change in the lives of African Americans and because of his past experiences. In his speech “Black Power,” Carmichael talks of the injustices that African Americans have faced for decades, like segregation and inequality, which is the reason for why there was a change in strategy from nonviolent to militant. Throughout Altbach’s article “’Black Power’ and the Civil Rights Movement,” he explores the changes that happened throughout the civil rights movement and why African Americans and supporters of the black power movement decided there needed to be a change. In a biography about Stokely Carmichael by Jennifer Wallach, she showcases more information about him and why he believed in the strength of the black power movement.

For decades, African Americans have been shut out of the democracy that the United States claims to offer because of their skin color and the history of slavery that took place in our country. In the South, there existed segregation through the Jim Crow Laws that enforced separation between blacks and whites. The deep rooted history of slavery and segregation in the South created a dangerous and stagnant environment for African Americans. Leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Stokely Carmichael tried to change the injustices and create equality for the oppressed throughout the nation. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of nonviolence and his commitment to it in the face of oppression from the whites. The only issue was that the peaceful civil rights movement did not create enough change in society; it only helped to make legislation such as voting rights and equal education, but did not help to close the race gap between whites and blacks. African Americans demanded more and did not want to face discrimination any longer. The next strategy was that of black power, a more militant approach to the civil rights movement that would create a larger audience to hear their calls for equality. Stokely Carmichael believed in this next approach and was willing to help lead the cause in order to create a positive change in racial discrimination that African Americans desperately needed.

When we know the history behind black power and Stokely Carmichaels’ support of it, it becomes easier for us to understand why there needed to be a change in strategy. Stokely Carmichael was a civil rights activist who made black power popular among many African Americans. Since he was young, Carmichael took part in many organizations that fought for equality and the rights of African Americans. He became a part of the Nonviolent Action Group as well as being one of the first freedom riders that travelled on integrated buses into the South to challenge their segregation customs. All of his background allows us to see why he chose to take part in the black power movement and why he so strongly believed in its necessity. Stokely Carmichael was a dedicated activist, and he was conscious of the injustice of the realities within the United States. He believed in taking action instead of standing in the background which is obvious when we find out that he was arrested over 32 times throughout his participation as a civil rights activist (Wallach 1). In order to make the black power movement successful, they needed a strong and brave leader that was willing to stand up for thousands and that is was they got with Stokely Carmichael. 

In Stokely Carmichael’s speech “Black Power,” he addresses his complaint that “every civil rights bill in this country was passed for white people” (315). Carmichael asserts that the civil rights bills, which allowed for changes like equality in voting and desegregation of public schools, were created to inform those who oppressed African Americans of the rights that they deserved. He argues that himself and other African Americans knew that they had the right to be in the same public spaces as whites and vote, but most of the accused oppressors did not follow what the new laws mandated. Whites unwillingness to accept the fact that African Americans were equal is one of the many reasons that Stokely Carmichael dared to support the black power movement. He does not support the idea that the failure of the civil rights bill is the fault of Black Power or the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, instead he recognizes it as a problem within the white community. They failed to accept the realities and legislation that guaranteed blacks the rights they deserved and fought to obtain, thus the black power movement evolved into a necessary transformation for the civil rights movement.

Through Altbach’s article, it is made clear of the history of black power and frustrations that evolved from stagnation in the civil rights movement. African Americans were no longer willing to wait for the rights that they deserved. Instead of focusing on the violence that ensued from the new militancy strategy, Altbach looks at the background information of why this happened. African Americans were repeatedly promised change from leaders of civil rights groups and politicians but were let down each time. In Stokely Carmichael’s speech “Black Power,” he delves deep into the history of black suppression as well in order to get across why he believes in the need for the black power movement. Stokely Carmichael was a man part of the transformation into militancy among civil rights organizations. He took a position of leadership in SNCC and recognized the need to change their strategy in their fight for equality. He did not think that America knew how to run democracy because it had not worked in other territories under their control like Puerto Rico and the Philippines. African Americans did not see the democracy that the United States promised to everyone. Altbach’s article follows along with Carmichael’s beliefs that there was failure in the nonviolence movement. By explaining the frustrations that many blacks faced across the country with discrimination and injustice, the reader is better able to understand the mindset of black power leaders such as Stokely Carmichael. The black power movement was followed by many African Americans because they saw the change that was being produced by it, instead of the slow progress that the nonviolence movement created. They wanted equal rights now, not another century from now.

The black power movement evolved around the leaders like Stokely Carmichael who supported the movement. Blacks changed as a community from accepting the idea that they were lesser than whites to demanding equality and an end to racial discrimination. Although the rioting created from the black power movement was effective, most still viewed it as a negative act that should only be used as a last resort. Some civil rights leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. believed that it should never be used because it threatened the effectiveness of their peaceful protests for equal rights. He feared that the black power movement would not create the type of change that the civil rights movement wanted. The acts of rioting came about because many African Americans were discontent, alienated from society, and felt powerless because of the segregation that existed between whites and blacks. The failure of the system to work for African Americans and their isolation from society caused explosive reactions within the black community that resulted in aggressive behavior like the riots that became more popular with the movement to black power. The black power movement created radical change in the black communities where they began to take action and control over their lives.

Stokely Carmichael’s speech “Black Power” shows a different side to the history of civil rights and the black power movement than most would expect. In the eyes of most Americans, the black power movement was a dangerous and unnecessary strategy to get attention, but when we explore it in depth, there are multiple reasons as to why leaders of the civil rights movement supported black power. The rights of African Americans were ignored for decades and the nonviolence movement failed to create the needed change in the social aspects of the discrimination towards blacks. Without the support of strong leaders like Stokely Carmichael, the black power movement might have ceased to exist and thus the progress of African Americans would be stagnant. Stokely Carmichael did not fear the effects that the black power movement might have on their fight for freedom like the leaders of the nonviolent civil rights movement did. He feared more about the effects of stagnation that the peaceful civil rights movement would have on the lives of every African American.
