The black power movement together with a number of black power leaders aimed to

promote black power ,justice & equality for African Americans .Do you agree with this
statement ,support your answer using the relevant line of argument .

Step 1:Change a question to a statement to choose the line of argument

-The black power movement together with a number of black power leaders were very
influential in bringing power ,justice and equality in the USA .One may affirm that to the
greater extent ,various campaigns ,organizations and different forms of protests that
were introduced by black power movement were very instrumental in restoring equality
,justice and black power .(Relate)The black power movement together with leaders like
Malcolm X ,stockely Carmichael ,bobby seale and huey newton was able to instill self-
reliance and self-pride which led to desegregation in the USA .

Background

-Fact: During the 1960s nonviolent protest was abandoned as many African Americans
still faced poverty and racial discrimination ,most of the African Americans still lived
under poor conditions ,had inadequate public transport and health care .This led to
sense of hopeless among African Americans but paved a way for the introduction of
black power movement in the 1960s .

Support: Most of the African Americans were dissatisfied with Martin Luther‟s
Nonviolent approach and the Civil rights movement .They felt like it was too moderate,
as results they rejected the idea of nonviolence protest as they wanted to accelerate the
pace of change in the USA .The struggle took another direction because of the
introduction of black power movement .The Black power was a movement that grew out
of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. Black Power calls for independent
development of political and social institutions for black people and emphasizes pride in
black culture. In varying degrees, Black Power advocates called for the exclusion of
whites from black civil rights organizations. Stokely Carmichael, one of the leaders of
the movement and the head of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee
(SNCC), stated: “I am not going to beg the white man for anything I deserve. I'm going
to take it.”Black power called for black Americans to take pride on themselves and to
develop the self-respect and self-reliance. Leaders of the black power included Malcolm
X and stokely Carmichael .They argued that African Americans should meet violence
with violence.

Relate: Through the Black power movement, the African American self pride and self-
worth was restored and African American were ready to fight for their rights in a very
passive manner, infact black militancy increased by this period.
In 1966 ,the leaders of the black power movement ,Huey Newton and Bobby Seale
formed the black panther party .The black panther party began as a group whose
goal was to protect African Americans neighborhoods from police brutality and racism .

Support: The Black Panther party encouraged African Americans to carry guns to
defend themselves from police brutality; they were involved in major police shoots outs
in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles in the late 1960s. It was formed to protect the
local communities from police brutality .They wanted equal education, housing, and
employment and civil rights and stated how they would achieve this in their 10 point
plan.

Relate: Major riots by black panther party continued for four summers which led to the
death of at least 50 people and 4000 arrests, however this was a milestone towards
reshaping racial segregation policies as president Johnson set up a commission to
investigate the causes of riots, He further introduced schemes to improve housing and
training African Americans thus assisting the to access their freedom and civil rights.

Apart from the militancy, the Black Panther party encouraged self-reliance among
African Americans by introducing community programmes to help alleviate porverty
in black communities .These programmes included free breakfast programme, self-help
clinics and tutoring schemes to help leaners to succeed at school.

Support: A free breakfast programme for children was introduced ,it fed up to
thousands of poor and hungry black children everyday .Clinics were also introduced to
assist with medical related services for blacks and a tutoring scheme to help black
students to improve their marks .

Relate: The community programmes initiated by black panther party instilled self-pride
and self-reliance among black communities which was also influential in promoting
black power, equality and justice.

Fact: The increasing in intensity towards reshaping racial segregation laws saw leaders
like Stokely Carmichael being actively involved in the struggle for better and liberated
society.

Support: Carmichael became a member of the Students Nonviolent Committee and a

freedom rider .He changed his ideas after the walk against fear from Memphis to
Jackson Massiphi protest against racism .He made what was known as his black power
speech .He said”Weve been saying feedom for six years ,what are we going to start
saying now is black power .

Relate: Stockely Carmichael urged African Americans to take pride in being black .He
was in favor of African dress, hair styles and further wanted Africans to recognize their
heritage .He played a foundation to ensuring that African Americans recogniosed their
culture and build a sense of community .

Fact :Apart from Stockely Carmichael, Malcolm X was also a civil rights activist that
played a key role in the black power movement.

Support :Born in in 1925 in Othaha ,Nebraska ,He became a member of the nation of
Islam known as NOI group .As a member of the nation of Islam ,his eloquence and
charisma attracted many new members to the NOI organization . Malcolm X speeches
and writing inspired violent protest against racial discrimination. -In 1963 he made a
speech where he advocated the use of violence to achieve the aims of the black power
.„Look at the American Revolution in 1776 .That revolution was for what? For land .Why
did they want land ?Independence .How was it carried out? Bloodshed .Number One ,it
was based on the land ,the basis of independence .And the only way they could get it
was bloodshed .This approach challenged the peaceful approach of the mainstream
Civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King ‟.

Relate; unfortunately he changed his ideas after a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1963-1964

.His views included that not all whites where evil and that Blacks could effect change by
working through established channels . Black nationalists were very angry with him and
decided to assassinate him at a party meeting in Harlem on 21 February 1965 .The life
of one of the most influential African Americans had been cut short but he is still
remembered for raising the self-esteem for African Americans of fighting for their rights

The black power movement was very instrumental in instilling self-pride, self-reliance
and self-worth for black people .It produced a new breed of leaders that were fully ready
to meet violence with violence . The Radical protests led by Malcolm X and Stokely
Carmichael with their ideologies of black power and black panthers movement
succeeded in outlawing the racial discrimination in the USA and brought independence
for African Americans.