
In the article, The Concept of Black Power by Winston A. Van Horne, we take a look into the relevance between the article and Douglass’s and Carmichael’s stories. Black Power was a strong movement during the 60’s and 70’s in the African American Community and they wanted people to know they deserve equality in America. Different leaders like Carmichael and Douglass led the movement in order to gain respect from the people that were oppressing them. The articles push the argument of these two leaders trying to lift segregation through a peaceful method instead of a forceful method. Black Power was a large movement that affected many people and when they go through so much hate and segregation it shows how much they struggled and needed to fight for peace. Relating this story from the time segregation was lifted to today’s society the black community is treated as equals in society, but recently they have been treated worse and worse. Today’s society has given a new rise to racism and basically segregating the black community again because of the hate that is going around today’s world. These leaders fought for all races to be equal and not fight anymore, but in today’s society it seems it is getting brought back from our earlier mistakes. These articles really give us a look into what it was like living in a segregated world back when Black’s didn’t have the same rights as whites. The rights had to be fought for and achieved which made the African American Community stronger as a whole.  Looking at this article as a whole we see the history of black power and the meaning behind the movement that led to the equality of all races in America. This article pertains to both these men and their stories because the article strictly breaks down black power telling the story of these men.  

The history of black power in The Concept of Black Power tells the stories of these leaders getting together rallies, speeches, and teachings to move the black community and the white community to end segregation and come together as a whole. The Black Power movement was meant to be a peaceful movement to fight for equality for all races. Even though the Black Panther Party was formed to bring a little force into the mix; they stilled try to fight for equality peacefully as much as possible. Carmichael and Douglass were more on the peaceful side of fighting for segregation to end, even though they were a part of some of the activity of the Black Panther Party. They fought for a purpose and their purpose was to make sure that the Black Community was at peace with everything and everyone. Douglass tells us that black power isn’t the meaning of slave power and wants people to go away from that ideal by focusing on abolishing segregation and the unfair treatment of their race. He says in the article, “Douglass was convinced that slave power could not and would not endure, and he believed firmly that Black people would yet witness the end of the Black Power in America” (367). The end of black power that he is talking about is the equality that they are trying to achieve for their African American Community. He also writes about Carmichael, “And so, Carmichael and Hamilton perceive the construction of Black Power as a means for avoiding another cataclysm of inherently disastrous proportions in American Society”(368). This tells us that the black movement was very strong within the 60’s and 70’s for making it a better society to live in for the black community. We see these leaders and their ideals in the documents and stories to end racism and fight for equality against their oppressors. The historical context brings together this article and two stories together through the black power movement. Writing these stories and articles from real time events really gives us a look at how the black community lived during those times of oppression. The article ties together the stories by summing up both Carmichael and Douglass’s stories of real time events. 

In the article, Black Power Beyond the Slogan by Yohuru Williams, she writes about the time of all the black power movements and how she was there meeting all the leaders like Malcolm X and Stokley Carmichael. She writes about the rallies going from city to city watching all of the black community get together and try and stop segregation. She also writes about the history of Stokley Carmichael; all about his life and what he has done to try and lead the black community. She writes, “It’s in Lowndes and Selma and Alabama that Carmichael moves towards independent black political organizing—and not just voting, but black autonomy, black political self-determination”(94). Carmichael doesn’t just want some of the rights he wants all the same rights as everyone should have no matter the race. He wants for the African American Community to be treated as equals nothing more nothing less; he doesn’t just want part of the deal he wants the whole thing so that they can live in peace. She also writes, “The Lowndes County Freedom Organization forms in the spring of 1966, and that party uses the symbol of the Black Panther, and that’s where it’s going to get the nickname of the Black Panther Party. Stokley Carmichael is a huge part of that, and that is connected to what’s going on in Selma in 1965 as well” (94). Stokley Carmichael was a huge part of the Black Panther Party and their efforts to fight for the end of segregation. The Black Panther Party was an organization that arose during the Black Power movement watched over authority and offering resistance when they threatened the lives of people. The Black Panther Party was one of the forceful organizations that helped out the black community have a voice. Even though the Black Panther Party was a forceful organization the Black Power movement tried to make their voices heard peacefully rather than forcefully. Some leaders did not agree with the Black Panther Party because it gave them more of a fight to deal with when they fought back violently rather than peacefully. 

When looking at these stories and documents we can see what these leaders were trying to fight for. They wanted equality amongst everyone in this great nation; they fought for what they believed in and they made it possible for a safer society today. The black power movement was a huge sacrifice for these leaders to help their community out. When we take a look into the similarities and differences between them they are very common of fighting for the same end goal which is ending segregation. The differences come with what time period each writer wrote their story about and how they experienced different forms of segregation and hazing. The 60’s and 70’s was a huge changing period for the African American Community which has become a reality in today’s society. This article pertains to both these men and their stories because the article strictly breaks down black power telling the story of these men. 