Stokely Carmichael also known as Kwame Ture, was a civil rights activist known for his approach on Civil Rights issues in the 1960's that contrasted nonviolent voices. Carmichael gave his 1966 speech titled "Black Power," at a time of civil and social unrest. The time period in which Stokely Carmichael gave his famous speech at the University of California Berkeley was during the 1960's when the Civil Rights Movement, student movements, and social reforms were at their peak. This time period is important to note when regarding Carmichael's speech in order to understand the motive behind the message. Whitmore's photo essay and A&E Network's article, and Bate's broadcast allow the reader to find a new understanding of Carmichael's stance on issues addressed in the work based on notable events within the timeline of the Civil Rights Movement. 

Two notable events in the Civil Rights Movement are when the Civil Rights Act passed in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965. These two acts were enacted in order to liberate African Americans from Jim Crow Laws. From 1954 to 1968 the Civil Rights Movement was in full effect, but it was not until Stokely Carmichael responded to the attempted assassination of James Meredith in June 1966, that the term "black power" came about (Bates). Carmichael coined the term "black power" and it was adopted by many African Americans as well as used by the Black Panther Party, which was founded by Huey P. Newton just days before Stokely Carmichael gave his speech at UC Berkeley. Bate's article notes that Malcolm X's Assassination along with other activist's assassinations led Carmichael to switch from non-violent activism to radical activism, putting him at odds with white audiences. 

The primarily white audience that Carmichael chose to speak to at UC Berkeley was one notable for protesting various political topics affecting them and others. Not only would this audience likely receive Carmichael's radical message positively, they would likely be more inclined to take action rather than an older, Southern demographic of people. During this time the Vietnam War was in full swing and young Americans were being drafted overseas, something that was highly controversial especially to the student population at UC Berkeley (Whitmore). The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee had an opposing stance on the Vietnam War, and with Carmichael as the chair in 1966 through 1967, this could also have contributed to such a turnout of students willing to hear him speak. From this and historic events, the reader can understand that the message of Carmichael's "Black Power" was not necessarily violent toward these attendees, but instead served as a reminder to these students that African Americans are valid and fighting by any means. It was also to remind these students that while they protest their peers in the war, to not forget about the injustices and inequalities going on in their own country at the same time and react to these injustices in the same way. He expresses his dissatisfaction with President Lyndon B. Johnson's policies toward Vietnam as well saying "And even if I were to believe the lies of Johnson, if I were to believe his lies that we're fighting to give democracy to the people in Vietnam, as a black man living in this country I wouldn't fight to give this to anybody" (Carmichael 254). These views are synonymous with the views of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, in which the reader can then interpret that Carmichael still held anti-war views. The opinions Carmichael shows are similar to the views that many Berkley students may have had as well, this statement being something that he connected to the students with in his speech.  Carmichael also commented on Martin Luther King Jr's nonviolent approach saying, "he only made one fallacious assumption: In order for nonviolence to work, your opponent has to have a conscience. The United States has no conscience" (Bates). This, with Carmichael's involvement with the Black Panther Party, defecting from the SNCC, and his famous quote on black power give a historical context for his opposition to King's nonviolent speeches, which he had adhered to for years. "We been saying 'freedom' for six years," he said. "What we are going to start saying now is 'Black Power'" ("Stokely Carmichael"). This is another instance where the reader can interpret Carmichael's speech by his views changing within a short period of time. 

Historian Peniel Joseph noted that the reception to Stokely Carmichael was not positive among white Americans. Famous for the slogan "black power," Joseph remarked that many felt threatened by the slogan assuming that it meant being anti-white. Many whites who heard the phrase were uneasy, Joseph says. "'They assumed that black power meant being anti-white and really sort of violent, foreboding.' Black listeners, on the other hand, heard a call "for cultural political and economic self-determination," Joseph says. The phrase, he adds, resonated powerfully for a people who'd long been measured by arbitrarily set white standards and aesthetics" (Bates). The aftermath of Carmichael's speech was not as bright as his rival Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Like most civil rights leaders, Carmichael was under surveillance by government agencies and eventually left the United States for Guinea, but although he left, some of his ideas stayed with many African Americans, the term "black power" being used on a wide scale in the modern day (Bates).  From this, one can note that though Carmichael was controversial figure, he definitely left an impact on those who benefit from his efforts now. 

The historical context provided alongside Stokely Carmichael's speech allow the reader to fully understand what caused Carmichael to have such a turnaround in his views, as well as why he chose the particular audience. Civil rights legislation between 1964 and 1965 caused great change in the United States in the midst of a time where war was unpopular, and speaking out was popular. With segregationists fighting for regression versus young people fighting for change in many forms, one can come to an understanding that Carmichael's speech is reflective of the time period and the attitudes that existed during it. 

