Black Power

Question 1

The Nation of Islam and the work of Malcolm X.

Answer 1

New approach to civil rights movement)

• 500 members in 1952 to 40,000 by 1962
• publicity by Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X
• most were young
• separatism
• rejected nonviolence
• –impact—
• By the 1970s where there were 75 NOI centres across the US

Changed the way people thought about the civil rights movement)

• suggest that the King approach was not working
• Direct action
• Self defence against whites
• more radical

—impact—
-Reconnected people with their African heritage
-Believed black people are Africans and not Americans
(separatism)
-Rejection of liberal white democracy
-No point integrating with whites

• Helped split the civil rights movement.
• Press portrayed him as dangerous and racist.

Question 2

Reasons for the growth of Black Power.

Answer 2

Impatience with King)

• high unemployment in the ghetto areas + police brutality
• philosophy of King had not reached them
• young wanted to be more active

Meredith March 1966)

• James Meredith marched from Memphis to Jackson
• encourage voter registration.
• Was shot by sniper
• People enraged by shooting of march
• wanted to take direct action

Question 3

Votings Rights act

Answer 3

1965
-Ended state literacy tests
-made national literacy test
-Federal government regulate discrimination
Mississippi- 1960 = 6%   1966 = 28%
Texas- 1960 = 35%   1966 = 80%

Question 4

Stokely Carmichael

Answer 4

leader of SNCC
Impact positive)
-phrase “Black Power” popular amongst young activists
-call for black people in this country to unite

Impact negative)

• Black only civil rights movement
• Whites no longer had a role to play for black freedom
• SNCC to carry guns for self defence against whites
• Separtism

Question 5

The impact of the 1968 Olympic Games

Answer 5

Impact positive: publicity)

• Tommie Smith and John Carlos won the gold and bronze 200m medals
• during US national anthem gave a black power salute
• single black glove and beret and clenched-fist salute
• media highlighted the civil rights issues
• inspired young blacks to join black power groups
• Bought black power to international attention
• Iconic Image

Impact negative)
-Smith and Carlos banned from athlete’s village + sent
back to the USA
-accused of bringing politics into sport +
damaged Olympic spirit.
-received death threats
-no longer able to represent their countries

Question 6

The impact of the Black Panthers

In 1966, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale set up the Black Panther

Answer 6

Impact positive)

• Had a 10 point manifesto
• Had a large impact on life in the Ghettoes
• Businesses donated money, feee clothes, free food

Impact negative)

• Leaders wanted to end capitalism + bring socialism
• Carried weapons = negative publicity
• violence and shoot-outs which upset white Americans
• 1969 27 killed in shoot-outs with police

Question 7

The overall impact of the Black Power Movement

Answer 7

Raised the levels of black awareness and self esteem)

• “Black is beautiful” cultural movement
• Made people feel to be proud to be black
• display black culture and celebrate black history.

Raised awareness of social and economic issues)
-Panthers had a 10 point program to improve life in the ghettoes

Question 8

The cause of race riots especially in the Watts District.

Answer 8

Why did the riots happen?
Problems of city living for black people
-White urban flight
-white people left the cities and facilities deteriorated
-Watts-schools poor + food poisoning was common
-north, 30% unemployed + 30% below poverty line.

Police brutality

• Watts
• police roughly treating black
• 5 day riots
• 34 people had been killed and 4,000 arrested

Question 9

The impact of race riots especially in the Watts District.

Answer 9

Impact negative)

• –Costs and damage—
• In Watts a six-day riot left 34 dead and 1,000 injured and $40m worth of damage.
• black urban neighborhoods were in ruins.

Reputation of the black civil rights movement)

• Destroyed white liberal support and so harmed blacks
• white backlash
• 73% believed blacks were to blame for the slums