How Did The Black Power Movement Shaped African American Literature
From the late 1950s to the late 1960s civil for blacks in remained a burning topic in media and everyday life. Two of the most influential to the movement were Martin Luther King Jr., a preacher from Atlanta, and Malcolm X, an ex-convict from Lansing, Michigan. King, during this era, was most well-known for quite literally preaching for non-violent civil disobedience to create social change. Conversely, X vouched for a violent revolution, a sort of fight fire with fire for the time. For the 1960s however, the ideals of king would be much more advantageous to the cause of the African Americans; in that they had little to no respect towards them from whites and violence would only cause more disrespect, the violent protests would also end
African Americans have had a troubled past in the United States. They had to endure slavery and fighting for their rights, and still aren’t always seen as equals today. Two major movements happened that paved the way for rights for African Americans, in the 1890s to 1920s, and in the 1950s to 1960s. African American leaders in the 1890s to 1920s laid a foundation for future civil rights movements by unifying African Americans and trying to get full rights and equality at once, while leaders in the 1950s to 1960s built on this foundation by taking a hands-on approach towards accomplishing smaller goals to achieve rights. Civil rights leaders of the 1890s to the 1920s led some of the first movements to obtain rights for Black people.
Malcolm X’s methods moved three young men in America: Stokely Carmichael, Bobby Seale and Huey Newton. Stokely Carmichael, a leader of SNCC, used the term “Black Power” during a march in 1966. Black Power instantly reached the hearts of many people. It meant much more than just standing together. Black Power meant more Black officials, more Black politicians.
The people involved in the civil rights movement fought for their beliefs in social justice and equality for all, regardless of race. Martin Luther King Jr. preached about nonviolence resistance against those who opposed the movement and pleaded for equality among blacks and whites. Another figure, Rosa Parks, fought for her right by refusing to give up her seat for a white person. However, Malcolm X, a black figure in the civil rights movement, was a minister who spoke for the blacks and believed in violence unlike King. Even though Malcolm X was seen as one of the most important leader for the blacks in the civil rights movement, his methods and ideas were considered unjust by turning the hatred towards the white society and labeling the whites as “the devil.”
Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X both strived to influence equality amongst the Black and white society. These Civil rights leaders fought for what they stood for in many different ways. Such as, King influenced the movement through non-violence, whereas Malcolm X wanted to react with a violent approach. These two Civil rights leader’s differences were influenced by their experiences and contrasting backgrounds. Martin was raised surrounded by a middle class family and was provided with quality education, where he later grew up to be an Baptist minister which influenced his Christian belief in using nonviolent civil disobedience in his movement.
Two of the most influential civil rights activists who fought for the rights and equality of African Americans were Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. both had different views on whether or not violence or non violence was the key to gaining equality for blacks. They very much differed on the question of violence because as Malcolm was for it King was against it. King believed in a nonviolent approach to end segregation, and knew that white segregationist would eventually act on behalf of his nonviolent acts because the issue couldn’t be ignored forever. Malcolm, on the other hand, believed violence was the only way to get segregationist to act. Though Malcolm never used violence, Malcolm knew that by threatening the white man the white man would then react to the threat.
Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X had been very important leaders to the Civil Rights movement. Their differing philosophies had made them unique, and brough differing perspectives to the 1960s. In the 1960s, society had been cruel in their treatment of African-Americans. Segregation was still in place, and hate and violence to African Americans had been at a high. The Civil Rights movement had been a big step for African-americans as they fighted for equal rights and the end of segregation.
For many years blacks have faced obstacles such as discrimination and racism. Blacks struggled to receive equal rights for years. They also wanted to stop the lynching of black people. Countless activists lead marches to protest against those things. In 1908, a deadly riot took place in Springfield.
Unlike leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., who emphasized nonviolent protests, Malcolm X advocated for black separatism and self-defense. Black separatism was
The Black power movement was more than just a raised fist. It was an influential movement established in the 1960s, and began to slow down in the 70s, it promoted self-sufficiency among the black and African community, and they fought for equality and power among those who faced discrimination in society. The Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power Movement were two different movements with very similar motives, but different ways of going about their fight for equality. Symbolism played a significant role in representing the Black Power Movement, and helped unify the group by using one symbol that all recognized. The movement began as a reaction to the Civil Rights Movement and continued into the 1970s as a force for good.
The Black Power movement and the nonviolence movement meant many different things to people, and were two methods that had numerous similarities in regards to their purpose, both groups strived for comprehensive equality. The methods used to attain the similar goals was how the tactics differed greatly. Both wanted to uplift their race politically and economically; however, unlike non-violence the Black Power Movement wanted to fundamentally change black culture. The bases of the movement endeavored to create black unity, self-determination and pride in black culture. Advocates of black power can be divided into pluralist and nationalist groups.
Black militancy was necessary to the African American cause , it was the combination of civil disobedience and violent protest that led to change. While Martin Luther King and the Black Panthers both fought for equality, their ideas on what should be changed the most immediate, were different. He mostly focused on the desegregation of society and the option of better education for African
African American literature has a way of improving one’s way of thinking. History itself has a way of influencing the future in a good or bad way. Some will take stories of history to corrupt the world, while others try to uplift, encourage, and improve the people of the future. For instance, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois were striving to improve the world in their own way. In Washington’s introduction it states, “the best way to ensure progress and peace in the South was for Euro-Americans to respect African Americans’ desire for improved economic opportunities…”
Abortion is one of the largest controversial issues debated today. Millions of Americans have heard about the concepts of pro-life versus pro-choice. Pro-life advocates that abortion is murder simply because the unborn baby is a living person. The pro-choice advocate that the fetus has no rights to protect, because they believe that it isn’t fully human yet. They argue that expecting a pregnant woman to carry the fetus violates her rights.
Thus, the Black Power Movement was similar to the Civil Rights Movement in that they were both fighting racism. However, the Black Power Movement was not a nonviolent group of black activists. Malcom X, born Malcom Little and the leader of the Black Power Movement, believed that black people should defend themselves against any form of assault. He promoted militant techniques, such as rifle groups, and stood for cultural pride. For example, he jeered at white Americans who tanned and curled their hair as if they were trying to be black.
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