Watch this video – how would it affect you if you were a Black American, trying to register to vote, but using non- violent tactics

Malcom X and Black Power

Lesson Objectives Investigate Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam Consider how Black Power emerged Evaluate the impact of Black Power

Malcolm X and Nation of Islam Recording your notes Malcolm X and Nation of Islam Impact SNCC Black Power Black Panthers

Who was Malcolm X? “I’m black first. My sympathies are black, my allegiance is black, my whole objectives are black…I am not interested in being American, because America has never been interested in me…We’re not Americans, we’re Africans who happened to be in America. We were kidnapped and brought here against our will from Africa.” What do I mean by this? Malcolm X had a very different background to MLK, and appealed to a very different set of supporters; advocating different methods. Despite a tough upbringing in poverty, that resulted in jail, Malcolm Little converted to the Nation of Islam when inside, taking the name Malcolm X. The National of Islam preached that whites were evil and blacks were good – and so should be separated. Malcolm X was an inspirational leader and criticised MLK’s tactics, saying that black Americans should rise up to create their own separate black state, using force if necessary. This was known as black nationalism – force being justified to achieve equality.

What was Black Power? A key 1960s civil rights group was the Student Non-Violent Co-Ordinating Committee (SNCC) who started out as a non violent protest group. However SNCC became radical when Stokely Carmichael became chairman in 1966. He believed that Black people couldn’t gain equality through moral reasons, but through ‘black power’. He soon began to criticise MLK and his ‘peaceful’ tactics.

The Black Panthers In 1966 The Black Panthers were founded and were the most extreme civil rights group. They were more radical – their leaders, Huey Newton & Bobby Seale – encouraged blacks to arm themselves to stop violence from white police – and force them to give blacks civil rights. They had around 21,000 members, were a small political party but also had a private army, killing 9 police officers between 1967 & 1969. After 1969 they faded into insignificance as people rejected their violent message.

Why did Black Power grow? Many blacks felt that MLK was not doing enough to help those in urban areas. The new aggressive attitude gave many self belief – notably in cities in the South where violence from white police was still common. There was a wave of race riots in 1964-1968; the most serious of which was in Watts, LA in 1965 and Detroit, 1967. 10,000 rioted in Watts for 6 days, 4,000 were arrested, 875 injured and 34 killed. Black people in these areas felt that they didn’t get the same protection as whites and distrusted the police. Many thought black power meant violence. Click on police for footage

1968 Olympics – The Black Power Salute The message of the Black Power gained a wider audience during the 1968 Olympics held in Mexico. Athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos won a gold and bronze medal in the 200 meters. They made the black power salute when receiving their medals and were sent home. Their actions divided America. Click on us for video

Summary - What was the impact of Black Power? Black Power undoubtedly raised the national awareness to the problems in cities. However, black power also alienated many white supporters for black civil rights. Some even blamed it for the race riots. Some said that it gave authorities a reason to crack down on all civil rights activities – indeed, the government had destroyed the Black Panthers by 1969 through infiltration, intimidation and arrests. Malcolm X was assassinated in 1965 – which led to violent protests. Whilst it seemed to have some short term gains, the long term benefits were less obvious. BUT – some say that Black Power was misrepresented unfairly in the media and many didn’t understand it. Others argue that Black Power and MLK shared views e.g. on the need to fight poverty and opposition to the Vietnam War. Click on us for video

Malcolm X and Nation of Islam How did you do? Malcolm X and Nation of Islam Argued black people should be separate from whites and that the use of violence to achieve equality was ok. Page 148 - 151 Impact 3 different groups gained a lot of attention (even internationally after 1968 Olympics) and support from black people in cities who felt MLK hadn’t helped. Restored pride in short term but pushed white CR supporters away in long term. Malcolm X assassinated in 1965, Black Panthers faded by 1969. SNCC Stokely Carmichael becomes leader in 1965 and says Black Power was the way to achieve equality; not through non-violent protest. Black Power Black Panthers Bobby Searle & Huey Newton encourage black people to take up arms to protect themselves/gain equality. 21,000 members and BPs kill 9 police in 2 years

The Civil Rights Acts of the 1960s JFK assassinated in 1963 but had introduced this law to Congress after the Birmingham March. President Johnson carried on the good work and once passed it made it illegal to discriminate against Black Americans in public places or in employment. 1965 Voting Rights Act Following Selma, President Johnson was determined to stop whites in the South from preventing the black vote. This new law banned all previous tests for black people when they tried to register to vote, e.g. literacy tests Thousands of Black Americans began to register to vote. 1968 Civil Rights Act This Act was to tackle some of the issues in housing. This Act made it illegal to sell or rented solely on the basis of race, religion, national origin or sex. Three major acts were passed in the 1960s: Civil Rights Act 1964 Voting Rights Act 1965 Civil Rights Act 1968 These were vital developments in gaining civil rights for black Americans, but what did they mean?

Exam practice Which of the following was the more important reason why the civil rights movement made progress in the 1960s: The policies and activities of Martin Luther King The policies and activities of the Black Power Movement Explain your answer with reference to both reasons (12 marks).