America during the 1960s is an era marked by revolutionary changes in cultures, society, and politics. The Civil Rights Movement, a major landmark of the era, brought many specific issues to light and pushed for change in the structure of American society and politics. The disenfranchisement of people of color, especially blacks, was the leading cause behind the Civil Rights Movement. This movement helped leaders like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X to be pushed to the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement. In focusing on one specific leader, Stokely Carmichael, the Civil Rights Movement and the era surrounding the 1960s can be understood by highlighting his famous speech, “Black Power.” The black power movement that Stokely Carmichael advocates for was a significant notion that helped to define the tones of this era. The intentions behind the Black Power Movement also relate specifically to organizations such as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Black Panther Party, both of which Stokely Carmichael focuses on in “Black Power.”  Stokely Carmichael’s speech also hits on other major issues in American politics and economics during this era. The black power movement and its constituent organizations, America’s political issues, and widespread economic disadvantage are all key factors of Stokely Carmichael’s speech that help to paint the era of the 1960s.

Although many associate the birth of the idea of black power solely with organizations like The Black Panther Party, others argue that the notion of black power sprouted up long before the Civil Rights Era truly began. Historical analyst Peniel E. Joseph argues that the start of black power came as early the 1920s as seen by phenomena such as the cultural explosion of the Harlem Renaissance and that were defined by “New Negro Radicalism” and a newfound pride in being black. Joseph also explains that while black power was on the rise in northeastern America, it was also shaping the early strides and calls for racial justice in the American South. By understanding how black power began, one can use the movement to understand just how vital it was to shaping subsequent movements of the 1960s. 

At the beginning of the speech, Stokely Carmichael starts by bringing up SNCC, the committee of which he was the chairman of. SNCC’s purpose as a vehicle for young black people to become more involved with the Civil Rights Movement is vital to understanding the era of the 1960s and how it affected people of color in all age groups. Because many students and young people were at the forefront of the movement, the audience can better understand the Civil Rights era by putting themselves in the shoes of the students who were directly involved in inciting change during the 1960s. The notion of black power in the minds of those like Stokely Carmichael was the basis of the push for both a figurative and literal movement of black people. Although Stokely Carmichael himself eventually moved from the United States to Guinea, one of his main concerns was to encourage people of color into moving forward and progressing in their communities both economically and politically. Carmichael poses the question, “So how can we, as the youth in this country, move to start tearing [poverty] down” to point out just one of the starting points at which change could be made (323). By recognizing issues that plagued not only minorities, but the country in general, leaders and thinkers like Stokely Carmichael made the 1960s an era prime for movements on every front. 

Because Stokely Carmichael used his position as leader to focus on many more facets than issues of racial injustice, he could focus his speech on political issues as well. The Vietnam War was a very controversial topic during this era and many, including Stokely Carmichael, were against America’s military presence overseas. Carmichael used the Vietnam War to relate to the struggles that blacks were enduring in America. This can be seen on page 320 when he says, “we can easily say that anyone fighting in the war in Vietnam is nothing but a black mercenary, and that’s all he is… Anytime a black man leaves this country, gets shot in Vietnam on foreign ground, and returns home and you won’t give him a burial in his own homeland he’s a black mercenary, a black mercenary.” The importance of this line can be seen in the repetition of the term “black mercenary.” This is important because at that time black people were being targeted in America and being killed for standing up for social justice. This was very controversial because they were also subject to being sent to Vietnam with the risk of dying in war. This issue was what put a hole in the issue of the war for many thinkers like Stokely Carmichael because in the eyes of the government at that time, black lives truly did not matter whether they were taken in the heart of the American south or the jungles of Vietnam. Stokely Carmichael believed that addressing America’s foreign policies and issues would allow for the masses to understand what needed to be fixed at home. 

The Black Panther Party, originally named the Lowndes County Freedom Organization, is another organization that was birthed in the 1960s. This organization was commonly associated with the black power movement. This organization received negative attention from the media at the time and was sensationalized as a purely violent group due to its militant approaches. Peniel E. Joseph highlights their unrecognized efforts which were overshadowed by the media’s attacks. Joseph states, “Black Panthers served free breakfast to school children in cities such as Oakland, New Haven, and Winston-Salem, North Carolina” (Joseph). Although the Black Panthers did have demonstrations that escalated into confrontation with local authorities, their work in the community is still an important aspect of their influence on the black community. Their work is also a manifestation of the black power movement itself. Stokely Carmichael describes the Lowndes County Freedom Organization as political party that would be, “willing to say ‘No,’ to withdraw from that system and begin to within our community to start to function and to build new institutions that will speak to our needs” (page 320). In Stokely Carmichael’s book, Black Power: The Politics of Liberation in America, he credits black power as the political organizing force in the Lowndes County Freedom Organization. He states that, “It is a call for black people in this country to unite, to recognize their heritage, to build a sense of community” (Carmichael). Joseph also builds on this quote by saying, “Other activists and organizations expanded on Carmichael’s framing of black power, tailoring the term to fit local and regional needs and using it as a national call for empowerment” (Joseph). The Black Panther Party and Stokely Carmichael’s organizing efforts are yet another key piece of the Civil Rights Era that shaped much of the 1960s.

“Black Power” addresses many issues that were prominent during the 1960s. These issues are very vital in understanding the way that America functioned in the 1960s. By understanding what was happening in American politics and society, one can look at the 1960s and accurately analyze a speech like “Black Power.” Stokely Carmichael’s focus on addressing and solving problems that plagued this era allows audiences to get a true glimpse of what the 1960s were like. 
