
        I would like to discuss racism in America using Stokely Carmichael's speech "Black Power" (1966) to prove that Carmichael is relevant because racism still is an issue today. Carmichael uses several points to explain the racism going on in America. Carmichael argues that the government makes laws that include other races to have the same rights as whites, when they should already have those rights. Everyone is not assumed to be equal from the eyes of the government. Stereotypes and gun violence play a huge roll in racism. The Black Panthers and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee are two groups that were very important in the Civil Rights Movement. America has a huge issue with taking advantage of other countries to get what they want, at whatever cost necessary. I plan to analyze these things during the Civil Rights Movement era and today's movement, the Black Lives Matter Movement.

America likes to make laws that include people who already thought they were included. The Bill of Rights was worded in a way that gave everyone these rights. The first amendment clearly states that “congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of speech” (“Bill of Rights and the Amendments to The Constitution). Nowhere in these ten amendments does it specify on who gets these rights. In fact, the constitution says that “All men are created equal” (Civil Rights: Law and History). This includes black, white, women, and men. Unfortunately, the lawmakers back then did not see this as truly “all men”. They saw African Americans as slaves and property. The Supreme Court passed a law allowing state governments to discriminate against ‘colored people’ by separating facilities into ‘blacks only’ and ‘whites only’. This ‘Separate but equal’ racism was permitted until 1954 when the Supreme Court overruled its previous ruling. Before they ruled it unconstitutional, segregation in schools was a significant issue. Black and white children were forced to go to different schools. The white schools had books, chairs and everything a typical classroom had. The schools designated for blacks barely had walls. They did not have the resources necessary to learn. The schools were overcrowded and understaffed. The government did not want to ‘waist’ money on building the adequate buildings that the students needed, let alone build many schools. In the court case “Brown v. Board of Education, the segregation in the public schools [was ruled] a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment to the constitution” (Civil Rights: Law and History). Even though the court made this decision, the statewide implementation occurred slowly until the Little Rock Nine. These nine students bravely went to attend a previously ‘all white’ school. Technically they were allowed to attend but the local law enforcement blocked all entranced, permitting them from coming inside. This lead to President Eisenhower to send federal army troops and one-thousand paratroopers, to protect these children and ensure that they got a proper education inside this school.  

African Americans were so unwanted in the community that states tried to do whatever they could to prevent them from participating in anything white people did. Poll taxes, literacy tests and voting tests were just a few ways that the government tried to stop them from voting. They knew that the majority of African Americans were slaves and did not have a formal education or money. Without this, they were unable to pay for the vote or pass the tests to ‘earn’ the right to vote. It was not until 1964 with the Civil Rights Act when African Americans were given the rights they thought that should have had the entire time. 

Stereotypes play a huge role in racism and prejudice. The Europeans started the stereotypes by saying “African Americans were ‘savage’ and ‘uncivilized’ so they could justify treating them inhumanely” (Legacies: Stereotypes, Racism and the Civil Rights Movement). They truly believed that they were the superior race and had no moral issue enslaving them. White Americans continued to see them as such and more. They were seen as rapists, killers, and even ‘unfit for society’. They were often lynched and sometimes even killed for just being black. Today the racism still continues. Some common modern stereotypes are that they are drug dealers, are poor, and unintelligent. Most recently African Americans have acquired the stereotype of being ‘cop killers’. The Black Lives Matter movement plays a big part in this one. Although living through all of the name calling and preconceived ideas, many have made a huge name for themselves. Martin Luther King Jr is known for being the pivotal figure for the Civil Rights Movement. He fought to improve race relations and equality for his people and never gave up. Harriet Tubman was the ‘conductor’ of the famous Underground Railroad that lead hundreds of slaves to freedom. Even Barack Obama made history when he won the election for President of the United States in 2008. He became the first African American president of this country. While in office, he has improved our country tremendously. The homicide rate has dropped 13%. He has created more than “nine-million jobs and the unemployment rate has dropped below the historical median” (Jackson). Disregarding their past, these powerful African Americans have done lot to change the world. Yes, there are fewer black influential people in our history, but that is because America hindered their chance to grow while they were discriminated against.

The constant racism and discrimination has cause two similar activist groups to emerge. The Civil Rights Movement and the Black Lives Matter movement are both protesting movements, advocating for equal rights for African Americans. The early twentieth century movement supported anti-lynching, equal protection, and voting equality. The Black Lives Matter Movement originated from a police attack on an African American kid, Trayvon Martin. The police officer was tried and acquitted of second-degree murder, which was not taken lightly among the black population. The movement is trying to raise awareness and prevent racist terror attacks like the church shooting of nine African Americans in Charleston, SC. Similarly, the four girls in Alabama were killed in a bombing of an all-black church during the Civil Rights Movement. The hashtag #BlackLivesMatter became popular, after the Trayvon Martin murder, on social media to raise awareness for this cause. As more and more African Americans died because of police brutality and blatant racism, the movement grew stronger and the supporters soared. Protestors in cities where the murders had occurred “shouted and struggled to make their voices heard” (Foran) as police forces tried to break up the legal protests.

The recent presidential campaign has played a big part in influencing the racism. Donald Trump is a very well-known racist, not only towards blacks, but also Hispanics, Muslims and many other minorities. In 2013 Trump tweeted, “overwhelming amount of violent crime in our major cities is committed by blacks and [H]ispanics” (Planas). This and many other comments have lead his supporters to attack groups of African Americans to show their loyalty to Trump. Many politicians support the movement and have incorporated it into their campaign. Both Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama have huge shown support for African Americans and other marginalized communities. One of Clinton’s campaign slogans is “Fighting For Us”. This is supposed to be aimed towards the minority groups. The Black Lives Matter Movement is focusing on the fact that blacks die more often than whites to at the hands of police brutality and that should change.

Racism does not only occur from the older generation; younger children are being racist simply because they were taught that way. They have not had the time to form their own opinions about different races. When children spend time with other children of different ethnic backgrounds and colors, they tend to be more likely to be accepting of these students. When children are not introduced to kids from other ethnicities, they are more judgmental towards them. John Oliver did an episode about school segregation here in America. One of the videos he played was of a little girl completing a Racial Bias Test where she was asked to pick the “good child” and the “bad child”. There were several children for her to pick from, all looking the same other than their skin color. She chose the white child as the “good child” because “she looked like (her)” (Oliver). The little girl picked a black child for the “bad child” simply because “she is the darkest” (Oliver). This child has been in a primarily white school her entire life and had not interacted with African American kids. People commonly associate light things as being good, and dark things as being bad, so this child may have not even known any better than to say what she did. If she knew someone or was friends with another child who was black, she would not have associated them as being the “bad child” (Oliver). As long as children get exposed to diversities at a young age, and learn right and wrong about racism from their parents, they will not grow up to think that those kinds of stereotypes are okay.  

These sources reiterated my ideas and Carmichael’s about racism against African Americans. The previous scholars have helped establish and defend my argument about the relevancy of Carmichael’s speech. Racism is a very prevalent issue here in American and it has been ever since it was founded by white supremacists. Carmichael shows the importance of progression, equality and movement throughout his speech. These sources have reinforced his thoughts and opinions of racism. 

White supremacy was and still is a huge ideal around the country. Since the colonization of America, the settlers have been racist and unaccepting to the original inhabitants of their new land. During missionary trips to Africa, the white missionaries brought back thousands of Africans to America to sell and trade as slaves. From the beginning, Americans forced them to “cover up (their) bodies, because they said it got them excited” (Carmichael). They did this because they did not agree with their culture and thought they should live like Americans do. According to Carmichael, their new owners spent time teaching them how to read and write, because they were illiterate and wanted the Africans to be civilized, to their standards. Whites complain about the African culture but also poverty. They do not like the fact that the poverty rate is so high, especially since the majority of blacks are poor. They complain and campaign to do better to change these things but never do. They want better for their country but do not spend time trying to solve these issues. Carmichael says that the only way to get rid of the poverty is to “give people money” (Carmichael). But then again, white would argue that the poor do not work or put effort into earning a living, so why is it fair that they give their hard earned money to them? Whites do not give people of color equal opportunity to make a living and support their families simply because they are different. Once you are a slave, you are always a slave. People will always see you as such and employers will aim to hire African Americans last because of this. How is it fair that when black people are unable to work, it is seen as lazy but the CEOs and Corporate leaders sit on their buts all day while making millions and are seen as heroes? 

Not only were African Americans not welcome in places of employment for whites only, they are unwelcome in all of the ‘white only areas’. Schools, neighborhoods, restaurants and bathrooms were all segregated. Even the government was entirely composed of white people back then. Even now, only two of the one-hundred senators in America are men of color (Current US Senators). That is only two percent of the people in charge of passing bills for the entire country who have an African background. How is this fair? Twelve percent of the United States population is African Americans. How is it fair that they only get two people like them to represent them? Carmichael stresses the importance of letting everyone vote in his speech. I think this is even more relevant today because people of color have the power to get an African American representative elected. 

Carmichael agrees with the nonviolent movement but he does not think it was carried out where it is needed. There were nonviolent protests and rallies going on all over the United States to support the Civil Rights Movement. The most widely publicized protests were in Mississippi and Alabama. However, no one appreciated the little things people did to try to desegregate America. Blacks tried to enter white schools, to learn and receive the same education as the ‘privileged’. They tried to eat at the same counters as whites. They tried to move in to all white neighborhoods. They even tried to ride next to them on a bus. All of these attempts were ended by telling them to leave, denying them the right to move, kicking them off the bus, and even killing them. Carmichael said, “Can you name on black man today who has killed anybody white and is still alive?” (Carmichael). When white people kill a black person, it is justified. There is not much of a repercussion for them because the white man was not at fault.

Even after a rebellion, when some black brothers throw bricks and bottles, ten thousand of them have to pay the price. When the white policeman comes in, anybody who’s black is arrested because we all look alike (Carmichael).

What started today’s Black Power Movement was a cop unjustly shooting an African American kid and getting away with it. This cop got away with murdering an innocent, unarmed child and got no jail time, no fines, and no charges. They said that there was not enough evidence. Therefore, even though he shot this defenseless boy, because the only witness was dead, he got away with it. With our more precise legal systems nowadays, you would think this case would have been deliberated differently but because of his skin color, the boy will get no justice for his lost life. This issue with violence and police brutality has gone on from the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement and it does not seem like it is going to end anytime soon. In fact, I believe that it is getting worse. 

Throughout his entire speech, Carmichael asks, “How can black people inside this country move?” (Carmichael). This quote insinuates that if they lived anywhere else other than America, they would have no issue progressing or ‘moving’ as a race. America has been the biggest downfall for African Americas. Americans stole them from their home country, sold them for money or goods, and used them as slaves. If American were not sure a selfish country, nothing like this would have ever happened to them.  Here, they are discriminated against, beaten, denied rights, and are thought less of than the white people. They have no opportunities to grow in education, leadership, or power. Carmichael stresses this importance of black people moving by repeating the question several times. He is so stuck on this question because I do not believe even he knows the answer to this difficult problem. He starts to ask about white people and about when they will be able to move and let everyone live together peacefully. Carmichael wants everyone live “like human beings” (Carmichael), which is everyone’s given rights! Everyone should be treated fairly and seen as equal. Carmichael emphasizes the importance of getting white people to help integrate. The blacks do not want to be a part of their community. They want to have one integrated community where everyone is of equal importance and everyone has equal opportunity to move and grow. We should be in a society where things have progressed since then, but I am sad to say that we are not. Along with other minorities, African Americans are still discriminated against and seen as the ‘lesser race’. This is not how is should be. We should have progression and equality and I think this is what Carmichael would have wanted for us today in 2016. It is clear to me that Carmichael wanted nothing less than his equal rights, and he made that apparent when he said, “Move over, or we’re going to move over you”.
