The Challenge of Black Power

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The Challenge of Black Power

• Angela Brown
• Chapter 29 Section 4

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• 1964 Martin Luther King Jr. won Nobel Peace
  Prize.
• Some questioned his approach and the movement
  became divided.
• Many African Americans angered by the continuing
  injustice.

3
James Baldwin

• 1963 The Fire Next Time told how oppression had
  set African Americans apart and made them
  stronger.
• Baldwins essays and novels were powerful
  descriptions of African American experience
  Notes of a Native Son.

http//blogs.citypages.com/pscholtes/images/James
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Malcolm X

• Born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska 1925.
• Father a Baptist Minister who spread Marcus
  Garveys back to Africa message.
• Father died during childhood.

http//www.jtf.org/america/jjj.malcolm.x.sunglasse
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• Malcolm turned to a life of crime in ghettos of
  Detroit, Boston, and New York.
• Arrested for burglary and served seven years in
  prison where he joined the Nation of Islam called
  Black Muslims (preached black separation and
  self-help)

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http//course.lib.uci.edu/ed/spirit/focusnew/Teach
erDevelopment/images/ Malcolm20X.jpg
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Black Nationalism

• Nation of Islam founded n 1933 in Chicago by
  Elijah Muhammad.
• Taught Allah would bring a black nation union
  of nonwhite people.
• Key to self knowledge knowing your enemy white
  society.

http//www.albany.edu/jmmh/vol1no1/elijahm-1.jpg
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• Did not seek change through political means
  waited for Allah to create Black Nation tried
  to lead righteous lives and become economically
  self-sufficient.
• 1952 Malcolm released from prison changed name
  to Malcolm X 12 years minister of Nation
• Malcolm gave fiery speeches to spread ideas of
  black nationalism.
• A belief in the separate identity and racial
  unity of African American community.

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Opposition to Integration

• Malcolm X called March on Washington Farce on
  Washington rejected integration
• 1964 Malcolm X broke with nation due to
  disagreement with Muhammad formed Muslim
  Mosque, Inc.
• Then made a pilgrimage to Mecca holy city of
  Islam in Saudi Arabia

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March on Washington
http//www.tcnj.edu/brown82/march_on_washington.j
pg
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Mecca
http//www.arabia.it/english/islam/mecca2.jpg
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• Seeing Muslims of all races worshipping
  peacefully changed his views about separatism and
  hatred of white people- change upset some of
  African American community.
• Returned ready to work with other Civil Rights
  leaders and even some White Americans.
• Feb 1965 shot to death at New York rally by three
  members of Nation of Islam.

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The Black Power Movement

• Stokely Carmicheal SNCC leader influenced by
  Malcolm X
• Born in Trinidad, West Indies in 1941 moved to
  U.S. at age 11
• Soon tired of nonviolent protest due to beatings
  and jail
• called on SNCC workers to carry guns for
  self-defense
• rejected white activists

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Stokely Carmicheal

• Carmicheals idea of black power called on
  African Americans to unite, to recognize their
  heritage, to build a sense of community, to
  define own goals.

http//www.ancient-knowledge-breakthrough.net/site
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The Black Panthers

• 1966 militant political party formed by activists
  Bobby Seale and Huey Newton.
• Wanted African Americans to lead own communities
  and demanded federal government rebuild ghettos
  to make up for the years of neglect.
• Violent encounters with police yet set up
  day-care centers and free breakfast programs.

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Black Panthers
http//designermagazine.tripod.com/BlackPanthersPI
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The Black Panthers

• Black is Beautiful slogan
• SNCC and Black Panthers moved away from NAACP and
  other moderate groups split in civil rights
  movement

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Riots in the Streets

• De jure segregation racial separation created
  by law battled early on
• De facto segregation tougher caused by social
  conditions, poverty, - fact of life in most
  American cities in education, housing, and
  employment
• Frustration and anger boiled over into riots in
  New York City, Rochester, and New Jersey.

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• One of most violent riots occurred in Los Angeles
  neighborhood of Watts Aug 1965
• Police pulled over a black man for drunken
  driving peaceful at first but when he resisted
  arrest an officer panicked and began swinging his
  baton
• Outraged crowd touched off six days of rioting.

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• National guard and police gained control but 34
  people dead more than a thousand injured.
• Federal government set up special National
  Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders to
  investigate.
• 1n 1968 declared riots an explosion of smoldering
  anger in ghettos.

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Legacy of the Movement

• Between 1970-1975 the number of African American
  elected officials rose by 88.
• Black mayors elected in Atlanta, Detroit, Los
  Angeles, and Newark NJ.
• Others served in Congress and state legislatures
• (Ex Barbara Jordan of Texas).