The Black Power movement and African Americans

Created by: WILL.B2018
Created on: 14-05-18 13:34


	The Black Power movement and African Americans
	Advantages Greater interest in African American history, music, distinctive dress and appearance Courses were run on African American culture in schools and universities Powerful new ideas of aesthetics - 'black is beautiful' became linked to 'afro' hairstyles and a move away from trying to copy white Americans' dress and universities Greater publicity for social grievances and inequalities and considerable publicity for a new confidence in African American identity. In 1968 at the Mexico City Olympics, two African American athletes gave the Black Power salute of a raised fist At a local level there were communities and groups to promote African American rights and economic activities, and in 1972 a national Black Political Convention was held to urge reform. The shift from conventional politics to 'identity politics' introduced a new type of democratic discussion, which impacted on a range of other issues such as gay rights and second-wave feminism	Disadvantages The division between African Americans increased and led to fears and repression, which weakened the impact of the movement and its ability to make change The association of civil rights with separatism, violence and radicalism alienated moderate opinion and weakened support for further extension of civil rights. In 1967 Martin Luther King was critical of the movement's failure to see that progress depends on interracial co-operation The power of the US state was too great and a considerable amount of police repression was used against radical leaders.
	Evaluation Movement ceased to exist by mid-1970s due to diversity of aims and the lack of central organisation. It's impact was not in terms of gaining political concessions but in spreading wider consciousness of black culture and heritage.

The Black Power movement and African Americans

Advantages

Greater interest in African American history, music, distinctive dress and appearance
Courses were run on African American culture in schools and universities
Powerful new ideas of aesthetics - 'black is beautiful' became linked to 'afro' hairstyles and a move away from trying to copy white Americans' dress and universities
Greater publicity for social grievances and inequalities and considerable publicity for a new confidence in African American identity. In 1968 at the Mexico City Olympics, two African American athletes gave the Black Power salute of a raised fist
At a local level there were communities and groups to promote African American rights and economic activities, and in 1972 a national Black Political Convention was held to urge reform.
The shift from conventional politics to 'identity politics' introduced a new type of democratic discussion, which impacted on a range of other issues such as gay rights and second-wave feminism

Disadvantages

The division between African Americans increased and led to fears and repression, which weakened the impact of the movement and its ability to make change
The association of civil rights with separatism, violence and radicalism alienated moderate opinion and weakened support for further extension of civil rights.
In 1967 Martin Luther King was critical of the movement's failure to see that progress depends on interracial co-operation
The power of the US state was too great and a considerable amount of police repression was used against radical leaders.

Evaluation

Movement ceased to exist by mid-1970s due to diversity of aims and the lack of central organisation. It's impact was not in terms of gaining political concessions but in spreading wider consciousness of black culture and heritage.

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The Black Power movement and African Americans

The Black Power movement and African Americans

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Disadvantages

Evaluation

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The Black Power movement and African Americans

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