Black Power Movement Essay

The beginning of the civil rights movement for African Americans was originally geared towards desegregation, voting rights, and equal opportunities. But, many African Americans began to realize the problem was much deeper than that. African Americans were inferior in the eyes of a white man, and no laws were going to change their views. This is where the black power movement comes into place. With violence, African Americans believed they could start a revolution. The black power movement was not only about fighting back with violence to achieve their goals, but about racial pride, self-identity, and independent political and economic power. The black power movement would soon gain the logo of the black panther, which Ruth Howard, a SNCC field director

Take the Student Nonviolent Coordinating committee (SNCC) for example. The committee conducted non-violent sit-ins and boycotts. There was a lot of critics who were against these tactics. They believed the movement was not going far nor fast enough. The federal government was still inconsistently protecting the rights of blacks. The senate hired a pro-segregationist which angered African Americans. The movement also tended to ignore racism in the north. African Americans were also frustrated with the amount of white back lash and violence they were receiving from the movement. “The Basics of Black Power”, an article that opposes the SNCC, states “ Black people cannot relate to SNCC because of its unrealistic, nonracial atmosphere; denying their experience of America as a racist society.” (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee 2) This is what lead to the black power movement, people felt like the only way to fight racism is with violence. Human rights activist, Malcolm X was a huge supporter of the black power movement. He explains his support in a speech known as “Message to the Grass