The Civil Rights Movement: The Black Power Movement

Early in the 20th century, in addition to overt Jim Crow laws and their various forms of segregation and oppression, racial tensions in housing, labor, and politics contributed to the development of systemic racism in the United States, particularly in Northern cities. In the middle of the century, two distinct movements for Black liberation took shape in the North and South respectively. The fight for Black independence in Northern cities differed from the Civil Rights activism in the South because they were facing a more covert form of racism. The movement in the North took on new rhetoric and had different aims than their counterparts in the south. Over time, a younger generation of black activists grew impatient with traditional (passive)

They follow many of Dr. King’s teachings, such as holding peaceful and nonviolent protests. However, they’ve also derived some of their ideas from Malcolm X’s ideas. The Black Lives Matter emphasis on the importance of black culture and embracing yourself, not assimilating into the culture and losing your own values largely follows in the steps of the Black Power movement. The biggest difference in activism today is that we too often wait for some tragedy to take place before taking action. In the past, they constantly pushed for their issues instead of waiting for something bad to take place first. We need to make proactive rather than defensive actions. Also, activism is more than standing in the street with a sign, we need to plug into the system in order to see real changes. Many inequalities that have plagued the black community throughout the last century are still prominent issues in today’s society, such as police violence and mass incarceration. Many urban areas are still highly overcrowded and plagued with unacceptable living conditions. The cycle of poverty keeps many people in these conditions. No real changes have been made to America’s core institutions or values to alter systemic