Black Power, a term popularized by the black activist Stokely Carmichael in 1965, began to take hold within the civil rights movement in the mid 1960s, despite its controversial implications. Some members of the black community were growing frustrated with the lack of progress towards civil rights that Martin Luther King Jr. was trying to reach. Among them was Carmichael, a principle leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), an organization originally established for the purpose of organizing sit-ins and freedom rides in the South and encouraging integration. After the Selma campaign in 1965, SNCC began to shift its intentions from supporting similar motives of Martin Luther King and his SCLC organization towards fostering Black Power and opposition towards the Vietnam War. The "Black Power" speech given by Stokely Carmichael in 1966 at the University of California Berkley uses satire, diction, and imagery to show the ideals of the Black Power Movement on the Civil Rights Movement and racism in the United States. 

Carmichael uses satire throughout his speech to show the ideals of the Black Power Movement on the Civil Rights Movement and racism in the United States. Carmichael begins his speech with humor by referring to the University of California Berkley as "the white intellectual ghetto of the west."(248) His attempt at pathos draws the audience in by exhibiting his personality and knowledge. He proceeds to refer to news reporters as "advertisers" who engage in "intellectual masturbation on the question of Black Power."(248) He continues to use satire on a level of sarcastic remarks and starts to call out all white people to a predominately all white crowd. He quotes Bernard Shaw by saying "'All criticism is a[n] autobiography.' Dig Yourself. Okay."(248)  This basically references to the point that what everyone says about you tends to be true because people can judge someone better than that person can judge themselves. The audience is unaware of it, but Carmichael is setting a precedent for the rest of his speech where he will teeter back and forth between empathetic and critical statements. Carmichael's diction is significant in this speech due to the fact that he is giving the speech to a well-educated crowd so word choice is crucial.

Carmichael uses diction throughout his speech to show the ideals of the Black Power Movement on the Civil Rights Movement and racism in the United States. Diction is a key device especially when a speech is being given. The words chosen can change a speech's tone and mood drastically. Too strong of diction the audience thinks the speaker is an extremist. Too loose of diction the audience feels like the speaker does not care. There is a balance that needs to be reached and Carmichael is trying to walk that thin line. He uses questions meant to make the audience think such as 

"And the question, then, is how can black people inside of this country move? And then how can white people who say they're not a part of those institutions begin to move? And how then do we begin to clear away the obstacles that we have in this society, that make us live like human beings? How can we begin to build institutions that will allow people to relate with each other as human beings?"(248-249) 

The diction he uses here pushes emotion on the people listening making them feel empathetic to his cause and question the ideals of white American society. He also uses some diction that is not the best choice for the situation. Carmichael uses "We" through the speech in reference to black people even though the amount of black people at his speech is little to none. The use of this diction might not be the greatest option due to the fact that the amount of black people there is low. The examples of diction in the speech are vast and those are just a few examples, some from each side of the spectrum. Carmichael uses imagery throughout the speech to show the white listeners what it is to be black. 

Carmichael uses imagery throughout his speech to show the ideals of the Black Power Movement on the Civil Right Movement and racism in the United States.  He sets up vastly different images in the minds of the audience to push across his viewpoint. He says, "It's a privilege and an honor to be in the white intellectual ghetto of the West."(248) He uses the term ghetto to show that the white students are apart of his cause and that the University of California Berkley is one of the elite schools in the nation but is located in one of the worst parts of the west. The words he uses draws a picture of unity between the two vastly different groups to join together for one cause. Another example of the imagery in the speech is when Carmichael says "And the needs of Oakland, California, is not 1,000 policemen with submachine guns."(252) This line gives a strong sense of imagery by drawing the image of the city of Oakland lined with a thousand police officers while the city is on fire in the background. The need of Oakland is not more police officers with more guns but the need of Oakland is one of a humanitarian relief. The city needs peace and peace would not come around by arming more police. The speech is covered with vast examples of imagery that all point to the ideals of the Black Power Movement. 

The "Black Power" speech given by Stokely Carmichael in 1966 at the University of California Berkley uses satire, diction, and imagery to show the ideals of the Black Power Movement on the Civil Right Movement and racism in the United States.  The speech was one of the more important speeches given during the time of civil right due to the fact that the aftermath of the speech formed the black power movement. On the day in 1966 at the University of California Berkley the world was changed forever due to one man and his name was Stokely Carmichael. 

