Joonsoo Kim Period 6

Black Power
(Question 1)
During the times of the 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement was in its full-blown stages, with protestors filling the streets and the action in cities such as Birmingham taking a lean towards violence. This was the cost of the fight and struggle for the civil rights of African-Americans, who faced the discrimination and hate mostly from the South, which still lived in the old segregated society of the old. In the fight for their rights, these African-Americans were bonded by a common theme of unity and a new sense of identity, that an African American was no longer a slave or underling but rather an equal to whites in society, making way for the concept of black power. This desire for power came in many different forms through many speakers and though the public of the white south may have been simply petrified by the concept of black power, this idea of independent power to African-Americans appealed to almost every African American The concept of Black Power was not more as well portrayed as by the Black Panthers, the organization of African-Americans who preached self-defense and were the utter quintessence of Black Power with their actions and ideals. The very creed of the Black Panther Program states as shown in Document 4, We want freedom. We want power to determine the destiny of our Black Community Quite evidently, the creed of the Black Panther Program was completely and totally biased in favor of Black Power, as Document 4 itself was made for an African-American audience. This idea based in the code of the Black Panthers exemplified the very idea that the Black Panthers had: complete and total dominance of African Americans of their own fate. Document 4 is a primary document in which there are the codes for the Black Panther Program, a leftist organization which supported the civil rights

movement. The purpose of the document is to inform the members and general public of the intentions of the Black Panthers, which was to provide equality for Blacks. Document 4 is valuable in that it showed that the Black Panther program was solely aimed to provide equality for black men and women across America, and that many blacks resisted the racial intolerance across the country. The limitation to document 4 is that it contains ellipses, which signifies that there is hidden information that the document does not show, and it could hold very important information to fully understanding the intentions of the Black Panthers. Furthermore, the idea of a solely African American dominance is exemplified through another code in the Black Panthers, We want land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice, and peace. And as our major political objective, a United Nations-supervised plebiscite to be held throughout the black colony in which only black colonial subjects will be allowed to participate, for the purpose of determining the will of black people as to their national destiny. The extent of the belief in Black Power is shown here, where not only were the Black Panthers asking for civil rights as equals in society, but they were also asking for more rights exclusively for African Americans. The extent and influence of Black Power went so far as to have the Black Panthers suggest that the U.N. to create an African American-only plebiscite. Throughout the codes, there are other various instances of the Black Power. Many African Americans had found the Black Panthers admirable and appealing due to this concept of Black Power, where the African Americans were at last given the opportunity and option to be free after many years of oppression. This came in the form of such rights demanded by the Black Panthers such as, We want full employment for our people,We want an end to the robbery by the white man of our Black CommunityWe want freedom for all black men held in federal, state, country, and city jails. Black Power, in essence, at last gave the people the power to stand up and speak for their rights, to the point that the Black Panthers supported: rather than sitting and enduring pain, one should stand and fight. This was the prevalent mentality throughout the black community during the Civil Rights Movement.

Malcolm X, the very inspiration of the Black Panthers, served as another clear definite example of the unified idea of Black Power throughout most civil rights movements in America. As stated in his own words in Document 1, Because the Negro in this country holds the balance of power and if the Negro in this country were given what the Constitution says he is supposed to have, the added power of the Negro in this country would sweep all of the racists and the segregationists out of office. It would change the entire political structure of the country. It would wipe out the Southern segregationism that now controls Americas foreign policy, as well as Americas domestic policy. This clear view of Black Power by Malcolm X holds a clear bias towards the Black Power demanded by many, serving to inform other African Americans of their rights. Given the fact that this statement came from Malcolm X, an influential leader, the very words of this would serve to be important to the black community, which was highly influenced by such leaders, though the views of Malcolm X were hindered by a clear bias towards black rights only. Here, Malcolm X argues, like many other leaders and protestors of the Civil Right Movement, that Black Power was paramount among the people and that it was the mainstay of the identity and the stability of America. Though this statement is highly biased in clear favor of African Americans, it was, nevertheless, a clear example of how Black Power reigned throughout the African American communities in America. Document 1 is a primary source document adapted from one of Malcolm Xs speeches. This document, which is written in Malcolm Xs perspective, is a call for Blacks to gain freedom from segregation by creating jobs on their own rather than begging others for a job. This document is valuable in that it shows that the idea of Black Nationalism was widely accepted among the supporters of Malcolm X and other anti-segregationists as well. The limitation in this document is that it contains ellipses, which could hinder very valuable information. Also, this document was transferred from another source, allowing the possibility of wrong information. The central argument of Black Power is well-justified in that after decades of repression and discrimination, it was only natural that African Americans feel a sense that they needed a recompensation of their rights.

Therefore, this came in the form of Black Power, where not only the rights but also the very power of African Americans in communities was stretched, sometimes to a near ludicrous level. Black Power was also a response to the rising segregation in the South and, according to the quote stated by Malcolm X, many believed that through asserting their power as equal, African American citizens, the stains of racism could be lifted. With this perspective, Malcolm Xs view of the Black Power to the people was perfectly understandable, not only as a means of garnering support to his cause but also as a tool to overthrow segregation, lifting the spirits of the people up. In this sense, Black Power served as a motivator. The general white public attitude in the South of Black Power, however, was less than positive. In many senses, the segregationists accused those supporting Black Power as simply turning the tables, ushering racism towards whites. Once again, however, the views of Stokely Carmichael, as shown in document 2, served as a response to these claims as , As for white America, perhaps it can stop crying out against black supremacy, black nationalism, racism in reverse, and begin facing reality. The reality is that this nation, from top to bottom, is racist; that racism is not primarily a problem of human relations but of an exploitation maintained-either actively or through silence-by the society as a wholeWe are just going to work, in the way we see fit, and on goals we define, not for civil rights but for all out human rights. This statement, though holding some degree of bias towards Black Power, nevertheless serves to bring in a more moderate view of Black Power. Here, Carmichael states that African Americans were in charge of their own fate and way of living, something that usually could only be achieved through Black Power. Document 2 is a primary source document in which Stokely Carmichael objects the fact that Black Nationalism was going to end segregation. Carmichael states that Black Nationalism was going to be overwhelmed by the racist America. Carmichaels intentions in the document were to inform the American people that creating a racist free America was never going to exist and was impossible to achieve. This document is valuable in that it shows that some in the United

States during segregation logically accepted that the United States would not become a segregation-free country due to the racism in America. The limitation to Document 2 is that the ellipses hinder valuable information which could potentially alter the thesis of the document. Even more so, Carmichael states that, black people must lead and run their own revolution. This view, very much like the one before, was something only achieved through Black Power, where the rights of an African American are freely expressed due to Black Power. Carmichael goes farther as to state that Black Power was, so that they can bargain from a position of strength. Given the history of the abuse and segregation that African Americans faced, this change, or this revolution, was exactly what the black community desired. Due to the segregation, this mentality developed and when the African Americans developed a position of strength, it was then when they felt they could overcome segregation. Quite clearly, Black Power is shown as a means of African Americans of achieving strength in a society where segregation usually ruled. In all, the movements of the Civil Rights Movement were bonded b a single common element: unity in the form of Black Power. Black Power served many purposes, among which were to give confidence to the African American community or to stamp a sense of authority that African Americans had desired for so long. This concept, therefore, was found appealing to many African Americans, who, after many years of oppression, found their first major opportunity at exploiting and stamping their power and impact in society and with Black Power, this was possible, making a dream once impossible a reality.