Rise of the Black Power movement (1 Jan 1966 Jahr – 31 Dez 1972 Jahr)

Beschreibung:

A more secular brand of black nationalism emerged in 1966. A segment of SNCC and CORE activists, following the lead of Stokely Carmichael, called for black self-reliance under the banner of Black Power. This new initiative posed fundamental questions: If alliances with whites were necessary to achieve racial justice, as King believed, did that make African Americans dependent on the good intentions of whites? If so, could black people trust those good intentions in the long run? Those inclined toward Black Power increasingly felt that African Americans should build economic and political power in their own communities. Such power would reduce dependence on whites. Because “the institutions that function in this country are clearly racist” and “built upon racism,” Carmichael told an audience in 1966, the question was how black people could “build institutions that will allow people to relate with each other as human beings.”

Spurred by the Black Power slogan, African American activists sought to redress persistent economic and social disadvantages. In 1964, President Johnson had declared the War on Poverty, a slew of new federal laws designed to help the poorest Americans (see “Lyndon B. Johnson and the Great Society” in Chapter 27). Black organizers joined the effort, setting up day care centers, running job training programs, and working to improve housing and health care in urban communities. In major cities such as Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, and Pittsburgh, activists sought to open jobs in police and fire departments and in construction and transportation to black workers, who had been excluded from these occupations for decades. Others worked to end police harassment — a major problem in urban black communities — and to help black entrepreneurs secure small-business loans. CORE leader Floyd McKissick explained, “Black Power is not Black Supremacy; it is a united Black Voice reflecting racial pride.”

In addition to focusing on economic disadvantage, Black Power emphasized black pride and self-determination. Some advocates rejected white society for more authentic cultural forms. Those subscribing to these beliefs often wore African clothing, chose natural hairstyles, and celebrated black history, art, and literature. The Black Arts movement thrived, and musical tastes shifted from the crossover sounds of Motown to the soul music coming out of Philadelphia, Memphis, and Chicago.

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