Support for Black Power

What support was there for Black Power?

A number of organisations and events increased support for the Black Power movement.

Why did Stokely Carmichael support the Black Power movement?

Stokely Carmichael was a prominent black civil rights activist and one of the original Freedom Riders. After being elected chairman of the SNCC in 1966 he moved away from non-violent action and supported the Black Power movement instead.

How did the SNCC show its support for the Black Power movement?

The SNCC showed support for the Black Power movement in 3 main ways:

• ❖ In 1966, Stokely Carmichael became chairman of the SNCC and changed the group's direction because he was frustrated with the slow progress of non-violent tactics.
• ❖ He brought Black Power campaigners into the SNCC.
• ❖ SNCC became an all-black American group.

How did the Lowndes County Freedom Organisation show support for the Black Power movement?

This was an American political party founded by Stokely Carmichael in Lowndes County, Alabama, with the aim of getting black people to go out and vote. Its symbol was a black panther.

What was the March Against Fear, held in support of the Black Power movement?

This was a protest march through Mississippi led by James Meredith to highlight the violence still faced by black people. Meredith was shot and wounded on the second day, so Martin Luther King and Stokely Carmichael took his place.

What happened after the March Against Fear in support of the Black Power movement?

Support for the Black Power movement was affected in 4 key ways:

• ❖ Although Martin Luther King continued to call for non-violent action, Carmichael made militant speeches that won over a lot of people.
• ❖ As CORE and SNCC became more radical, both organisations lost many of their original members.
• ❖ The movement terrified many white Americans and worried moderate African Americans.
• ❖ It did have a positive impact on many African Americans by encouraging them to take pride in their culture and heritage.