
In Stokely Carmichael’s speech, “Black Power,” he expresses that government cannot eliminate discrimination against African Americans. Carmichael stresses that the white community is not looking at an African American as equal to them, and that, in order for the civil rights movement to end, it is up to the white community to unify the nation. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 eliminated segregation in the United States, but it did not prevent racism and discrimination against African Americans. The white community has not accepted African Americans as equals, so black power is a movement to empower African Americans, and continue the Civil Rights Movement until African Americans are viewed equally. 

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed any discriminations based on race, color, gender, religion, or ethnicity. This act was responsible for the end of discrimination against African Americans, and helped the integration of African Americans into the predominant white, American society. The act ended segregation in public facilities, education, and jobs. Carmichael emphasizes in his speech that African Americans are still not treated the same, and the white community does not look at African Americans as equal. The act may have ended segregation, but the government can only do so much in ending segregation. Carmichael stresses that it is up to the white population to end discrimination. In the article, “The American Journal of Legal History,” it states “conservatives occupy the executive office and the Supreme Court” (Jones 454). This eludes to the fact that whites occupy governmental positions. Carmichael points out in his speech that blacks are always being told what to do by whites. Carmichael says, “black people must be seen in positions of power, doing and articulating for themselves, for themselves.” (Carmichael 319). Carmichael is eluding to the point that there needs to be a more equal balance in government between whites and blacks for the white society to end discrimination against African Americans. This article also states the continuance of civil rights include diversity in US government, a more multicultural society, and affirmative action. Carmichael’s speech is emphasizing that the Civil Rights Movement is not over, and Black Power must prevail in order for the United States to become a more unified nation. 

The goal of the Black Power movement is for African Americans to have a justified place in American society. Carmichael emphasizes in his speech that African Americans are corrected and told how and what to do in every task they try to accomplish by the white community. In the article, “’Black Power’ and the US Civil Rights Movement,” Altbach writes, “Black Power is the result of a desire for effective political power for Negroes and a conviction that Negroes must be more self-reliant if they are to achieve their justified place in American society” (Altbach 234). In Carmichael’s speech, he says that “black people must be seen in positions of power” and they need to do things for themselves. The only way for blacks to do things for themselves is if the white community see African Americans in positions of power, and that they are doing things for themselves. The essential goal of the Black Power movement is for African Americans to find their righteous place in American society, and political power is a notable path to take to conquer that goal and end discrimination in the United States. 

Education and other opportunities were forms of inequality because of race. Discrimination is still present after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which Carmichael eludes to in his speech, “Black Power,” in 1966. Gary Orfield wrote about his experiences living in the era of Civil Rights and he explicitly mentions in his article the fact that school desegregation was the only major effort to eliminate discrimination in the United States, and inequality in education and other opportunities still prevented the Black Power movement from achieving their goal. Orfield writes, “we still had a system of profound inequality based on residential segregation in our metropolitan areas, where education and other opportunities were allocated by location and location was allocated by race.” (Orfield 663). Orfield is expressing that education is not equal for African Americans because of where they live, but blacks did not live in white communities at the time, so they did not get the same education as white children would get. Carmichael also emphasizes living in different neighborhoods in his speech, Carmichael says, “If someone wants to live in a white neighborhood and he is black, that is his choice. It should be his rights. It is not because white people will not allow him. So vice versa: If a black man wants to live in the slums, that should be his right. Black people will let him. That is the difference.” (Carmichael 318). So living in different locations causes differences in the quality of education because white communities still do not accept the fact that African Americans are and should be treated equally as white people are. As I mentioned earlier, Orfield mentions the fact that the government did not do much in eliminating discrimination in the United States. Carmichael also asks the question, “How can white society begin to move to see black people as human beings?... I must go to college to prove myself.” (Carmichael 318). Carmichael is expressing that whites are not accepting blacks as equal and equal education is a major factor in accomplishing the Black Power Movement’s goal of eliminating discrimination in the United States. As I mentioned earlier, Carmichael emphasizes the importance of education, so African Americans can reach positions of power, in order for the American society to accept African Americans as one of their own to ensure America is more united in the future.

Carmichael stresses the importance of education because it leads to better job opportunities, but there is still discrimination against African Americans which prevent them from earning a job in a predominant white society. This is shown in a court case where a black man, Edward Johnson, was discharged after being charged with wage garnishments, which were allocated to be discriminatory against blacks. The Harvard Law Review stated, “an especially high proportion of blacks have their wages garnished, and on its observation that blacks are more frequently poor and in debt… which may lead to wage garnishments.” (1484). Reasons why blacks were not given good job opportunities because white owners still discriminate against African Americans; and they are not given equal education because of the neighborhood they live in. Carmichael’s main point in his speech is that African Americans are still not treated equally as whites are, even after government policies are put into effect because the white community fails to allow blacks to have the same opportunities and have a united America. Carmichael wants the white community to accept the fact that blacks are equal to them because the government has done everything it can to stop discrimination in the United States.

Carmichael’s speech “Black Power” stresses the importance of the Black Power movement and its goal to empower the black community in the American society. Carmichael states that government action only did so much with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which only ended segregation but not discrimination. The white society in America did not admit African Americans in their community because of the color of their skin. All Carmichael asks in his speech is what would it take for a black man to have equal rights and opportunities as a white man. The essential goal of the Black Power movement is for African Americans to find their righteous place in American society, and political power is a notable path to take to conquer that goal and end discrimination in the United States. For that to happen, Carmichael stresses that the white community must accept African Americans as equal to them, so African Americans can fit into the American society, and the United States can become more united.
