Stokley Carmichael’s Speech, “Black Power” helped people today’s society understand the Black Power movement and the role it played during the Civil Rights era. Two articles that validate Carmichael’s speech are, “An Incitement to Riot” by Thomas J. Hrach and “Protest Campaigns and Movement Success: Desegregating the U.S. South in the Early 1960s” by Michael Biggs and Kenneth Andrews. These articles addressed real life problems during the 1960s and 1970s and how some people pursued positive change throughout the United States. By analyzing race relations, we see not only media’s role in addressing riots, but how protesting lead to the exposure of racism and the success of the Civil Rights Movement.   

“An Incitement to Riot” showed how television broadcast contributed to major riots in underdeveloped black communities during the summer of 1967.  News anchors reported unfolding riots in cities spanning from Chicago all the way to California. Even though reporters tried to show what was going on, their broadcast led to more riots. The news influenced young African Americans to follow the footsteps of Civil Rights leader, Stokley Carmichael, in pursuit of social justice and equality. In Hrach’s article, he mentioned some of the casualties, “eighty-three people were killed, and one thousand eight hundred and ninety-seven people were injured in the riots that took place that summer” (Hrach 163). In Carmichael’s speech he says, “if you believe in integration, then we’re going to start adopting us some white people to live in our neighborhood” (Carmichael 317) this statement provided the evidence that if whites actually believed in integration then the following two things would occur. First, neighborhoods would not be referred to as underdeveloped black communities but simply as riots within the community. Second, the riots would not have occurred because there would not have been a need for the Civil Rights Movement since everyone would have truly be equal. 

In addition to statistics about televisions role in the 60s, “An Incitement to Riot” provides information using the Kerner Report which was released March 1, 1968. The report investigated the relationship between major riots and television, dismissing the direct link between television and increased rioting the main reason was timing in coverage and violence. Hrach stated, “television’s critics, however, would have noticed that the coverage tended to follow the news, and the amount of violence always tended to be greatest at the start of a riot…” (Hrach 164-165). This supported Carmichael’s claim that white institutions needed to be disassembled and replaced. The news, during the time, was mainly represented by white reporters who had a say over what was presented and what did not. The Kerner Report helped executives of television improve their reports on violence and racism in America. After the media revised its reports, it played a key role in the success of the Civil Rights movement. Not only did it get Stokley Carmichael’s ideas out to everyone it also helped Civil Rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr, get his tactics of nonviolence out to the general public.

Biggs and Andrews’ “Protest Campaigns and Movement Success: Desegregating the U.S. South in the Early 1960s” showed how effective protesting was helping to desegregate the South and spread exposure and awareness of racism during the 60s. The article stated, “In May 1963, the Department of Justice counted 204 cities as having desegregated at least one lunch counter. By comparison, hotels or motels had been desegregated in 163 cities, restaurants in 141, and theaters in 109” (Biggs and Andrews 9). It was obvious that Southern States were having second thoughts on Jim Crow laws. Astonishingly enough cities that did not have a single sit-in by Easter 1960, started opening lunch counters to African American customers. Biggs and Andrews’ statistics showed, “if sit-ins had occurred in a city, the odds of desegregation were quintupled. Sit-ins else- where also had a positive effect” (Biggs, Andrews 15). Carmichael stated, “I look at Dr. King on television every single day, and I say to myself: Now there is a man who’s desperately needed in this country. There is a man full of love. There is a man full of mercy. There is a man full of compassion. But every time I see Lyndon on television, I said, Martin, baby, you got a long way to go” (Carmichael 324). Even though Carmichael promoted instant progress he also respected individuals who were willing to wait a bit longer for permanent results. Carmichael turned his approach from nonviolence (with the SNCC) to self-defense (with the Black Panthers) to illustrate racism and abuse that African Americans experience during the 1960s. Nonviolence was working, but self-defense was taking giant leaps to expose racism promoted by Jim Crow.

Carmichael was not only the chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) but also the Prime Minister of the Lowndes County Freedom Organization which was a political party. Carmichael added, “now the gentlemen of the Press, because they’re advertisers, and because most of them are white, … never called the Lowndes County Freedom Organization by its name, but rather they called it the Black Panther Party” (Carmichael 325). Carmichael expressed his concerns indicating they should call the Alabama Democratic Party the “White Cock Party” (Carmichael 325). When Carmichael left the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, he became the chairman of the “Black Panther Party” to participate in a more radical approach. He moved away from the nonviolence tactics of Martin Luther King and tried to implement the tactics of self-defense. 

The race relations in every aspect of life in the 1960s were tense. Racism was widely found in the Jim Crow South. Jim Crow tried to suppress African Americans, yet there were those few who stood up to Jim Crow laws to try to fulfill Martin Luther King’s dream and were bold enough to follow Stokley Carmichael’s “Black Power” movement. 

The difference between “An Incitement to Riot” examined the subjective aspect of media and the roles it played in trying to spread important information to a wide diversity of people. “Protest Campaigns and Movement Success: Desegregating the U.S. South in the Early 1960s” displayed the importance of being persistent in your quest for change and that being patient was the best way to influence change. Both show that if progress for changed has stopped by being nonviolent and peaceful you have to show that you are willing to fight for your cause and that you will not stop until equality and justice is reached. Carmichael incorporated these thoughts with every aspect of his fight to reach equality and end racism. 

 “An Incitement to Riot” illustrated the tension of race relations in the 1960s and the importance of media in spreading an idea during a difficult time. Biggs and Andrews displayed the importance of being patient and the effect protests can have against and towards Americans. Both articles portrayed the world in which Stokely Carmichael lived. A world that was not less than a century ago. Carmichael ended his speech stating, “the question is, will white people overcome their racism and allow for that to happen in this country? If that does not happen, brothers and sisters, we have no choice but to say very clearly, move over, or we’re going to move on over you.” (Carmichael 326). 
