
“Black Power” was a speech delivered by Stokely Carmichael in 1966 to a primarily white audience at UC Berkley. The speech focuses on integrating African Americans into the institutions and electing African Americans into higher up positions in the government. The speech also discusses the Civil Rights Movement, which helps to show how Black Power has begun.  By analyzing the nonviolent movements during the Civil Rights era, it is clear the significant role that Stokely Carmichael plays in the black community to fight for equality and social desegregation. Carmichael played a significant role in creating the present day term “Black Power” by his use of sit-ins, speeches, and other non-violent movements. By focusing on the racial inequalities in social and government institutions during the 1960s and 1970s, Carmichael explains the importance of Black Power to Civil Rights era protest and fights for the rights of African Americans throughout the United States of America. 

The Civil Rights Movement was a nonviolent protest against racial segregation and discrimination during the late 1950s and early 1960s. The movement was predominately more common in the southern United States due to the abundance of newly empowered African Americans after the passing of the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments to the U.S constitution. Although all slaves were ruled free and equal, white supremacy still dominated in the southern states. In high hopes of reaching a desegregated nation, African American leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Stokely Carmichael, and Malcolm X began to lead powerful movements, deliver speeches, and promote sit-ins to gain support from other African Americans in the community. The goal was to bring awareness to the lack of freedom that African Americans truly had during that time period, as well as promote black values, express political goals, and defend themselves against racial oppression. 

Stokely Carmichael is credited for creating the term “Black Power”. Carmichael gained national fame whenever he introduced the term “Black Power”, a replacement for the phrase “Freedom Now!” which was first introduced by Martin Luther King, Jr. As Carmichael gained support from local black residents, he was able to form an independent political party, known as the Lowndes County Freedom Organization (Joseph). This party later became known as “the Black Panther Party”, an organization for self-defense in Oakland. This party allowed for both physical and symbolic meanings of power for the entire African American Race. From 1966-1968, Carmichael became one of most important leaders during the Civil Rights era (Joseph). He expressed his beliefs by broadcasting his stand on war resistance, racism, and poverty for African Americans. In his later years, his leadership role grew, as he became the chairmen for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). This organization was found on both white and black higher education campuses, by pushing for a social change in a non-violent way. 

According to Carmichael, Black power is only beneficial in a group.  The term was first introduced during the Civil Rights era to help show African Americans the power behind nonviolent movements. Carmichael explains that African Americans are not using Black Power to help them fight for their rights to integrate, but instead fighting against white supremacy (Carmichael 316).  For example, our country was once in a psychological struggle over the idea of Black Power. It was not a matter of white support for the movement, but the idea of African Americans being in power that created problems within the country. Carmichael states that blacks were never individually powerful, but as a whole, the African American race is grouped together and able to fight against oppression. Carmichael believes that in order to fight against oppression, blacks must work with the whites on integration because it is a two-way thing, meaning that both races must work together to improve the quality of living for each other. In order to change the way blacks are looked at during this time period, Black Power was used to bring people together and fight for their rights against white supremacy.  The movement was first created as a nonviolent movement attended to bring attention to the integrated society, however as time progressed, the movement transitioned into a more violent approach. 

   By the late 1960s, Black Power began to shift from nonviolent movements to more radical actions.  Civil Rights activist leader, Malcolm X, began to influence the movement, especially the Black Panther Party. The Black Panther Party was a Black Power organization created after the Civil Rights Movement and was known for providing self-defense for the blacks against the U.S government. By following many foundations rooted in Black Power, Black Panthers were known for standing up and fighting for equality for the African American race. During the Civil Rights Era, the Black Panther Party was famous for fighting against police cruelty, as well as providing the community was help in education, transportation, and creating the Free Breakfast for Children Program in 1969. The creators, Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, argued that in order for blacks to achieve respect, they would first have to create a revolutionary movement and overthrow the whites in power. 

By focusing on the racial inequalities in social and governmental institutions, it is evident that the political parties do not meet the needs of the people because the people elected during the 1960s and early 1970s were white. Therefore, the needs of African Americans were never addressed or met because the elected officials focus only on the white majority. Carmichael believes that in order to live in the world with no racism, a new society must be born (Carmichael 319). The blacks do not believe that governmental institutions meets the needs of the black community because at this time period, both the democratic and republican parties were controlled by racism. For example, the government desires to form international coalition. American is focused on helping the people outside of the borders, while the people inside America are struggling in both the poor white community and the black community (Carmichael 318). As a country, the society should be able to control and regulate the racism within the institution. Although, in order for a change to be made African Americans need to be able to hold political office; it is not favorable to have white people working within a black community. White people cannot work within a black community because then African Americans begin to question their authority. Therefore, black people must be seen in a position of power without the help from whites. 

The impact of Black Power during the Civil Rights movement was huge. During the 1960s and 1970s, Black Power was used to bring together the African American race to help fight against white supremacy. In the past, blacks were looked at as a whole. For example, all blacks were the same, so they should be treated the same. Black parents would have to explain to their children why they could not attend the same schools, bus stops, and amusement parks as the white children. The children were discriminated due to their race, therefore causing the community to be divided by color. However, after the Civil Rights movements, Black Power helped to prove to the white community that blacks were equal with whites. The African American race began to be proud of their culture. For example, the school systems changed drastically. White and black children were able to attend the same school and universities. Colleges around the country began offering classes in African Culture and teaching African American Studies. Although schools were beginning to offer classes educating students on African American culture, Carmichael believed that blacks should not have to go to college in order to prove themselves. (Carmichael, 317). He believed that education was not an important concept to racism because the white society is still going to view the African American race as less inferior to the white race.  The Black Power movement continues to be an important part of society today and holds the same importance that it did during the Civil Rights era. 

Black Power was a term first used by Stokely Carmichael during a Civil Rights Speech in the 1960s. He gained national support and began to use Black Power to lead powerful movements against white supremacy. Stokely Carmichael, with the help of other Civil Rights activist leaders was able to create a new world. The newly created society would allow for African Americans and whites to work and live together without questioning each other’s authority.. Overall, Black power did not create an equal world, but it did create the necessary elements for blacks and whites to live and learn from each other. 
