Stokely Carmichael Lesson starter: What impact do you think Malcolm X had on the civil rights movement?

The End of Non-violence? By mid 1960s many Civil Rights organisations changed their ideas and adopted the slogan Black Power. Slogan Black Power 1st used by Stokely Carmichael.

What was ‘Black Power’? Black Americans should… Not rely on Whites to ‘give’ them Civil Rights. Build their own schools, communities etc without interference from Whites. Be prepared to defend themselves, use violence if necessary. Develop sense of pride in their own separate identity and culture.

Who was Stokely Carmichael? Involved in non-violent protests of early 1960s. 1961 joined Freedom Riders. Became leader of SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) in 1966. Mid 1960s he the changed aims – to black separatism and violent protest. 1969 changed the name of SNCC to Student National Coordinating Committee.

Views of Stokely Carmichael? Violence to be used to deal with opposition. “Every courthouse in Mississippi ought to be burned tomorrow to get rid of the dirt” Blacks should be proud of their heritage. “Black people in this country should unite, to recognize their heritage, and to build a sense of community” Non-violent protests have made no progress Black Power is the only way to gain Civil Rights. “The only way we gonna stop them white men from whippin’ us is to take over. We been sayin’ freedom for six years and we ain’t got nothin’. What we gonna start sayin’ now is black power.” It’s time to stop working with Whites to gain Civil Rights and time to start fighting them. “I’m not going to beg the White man for anything I deserve. I’m going to take it. We need power, Black Power!” Poverty and education are two areas which have to be tackled if the lives of Black Americans are to improve – in particular Carmichael encouraged Blacks to use their vote. “Black Americans have two problems: they are poor and they are black. All other problems arise from this two-sided reality: lack of education, the so-called apathy of black men. Any program to end racism must address itself to that double reality.”

SNCC was influenced by Malcolm X. 1966 it expelled its white members and white staff and so did CORE. Many blacks were prepared to support the idea of Black Power. But, only a minority were prepared to support the violence some leaders wanted to use.

Black Power and the changes to SNCC change that had taken place in the Civil Rights Movement had a major impact. Within 2 years of King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech, black leaders were talking about separate black states and using guns to win freedom. It looked as if Martin Luther King’s work had failed.

In 1968 Carmichael left the SNCC to join a more extreme group – The Black Panthers.