What Black Power

There have been some huge movements and images in the history of African Americans in this country that seem to capture the mood of the country and the black community at the time. And the phrase "black power" is without a doubt one of the simplest and most elegant statements of pride and unity in the black community. But it was also a phrase that came to represent the more violent and problematic side of the struggle for equality in the black community. And that makes it a controversial phrase then and now. Probably the greatest image of black power is the strong hand of a black man, clenched in a black glove and raised in the air in defiance and pride. Never was this salute used more perfectly than at the 1968 Olympics when Tommy Smith and John Carlos raised a black gloved fist as they accepted their medals for their performances at those Olympics. The phrase "black power" was not coined during a march or riot, as might be suggested. It was actually created by Robert Williams, head of the NAACP, in the early 1960s. But it really began to become a "street term" when it was adopted by Malaya Dada and Stokley Carmichael, founders of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which was the forerunner of the famous Black Panther Party. Unfortunately, the Black Power movement became characterized by radical elements that went far beyond the pursuit of the goals of Martin Luther King and the rest of the civil rights leadership. These radical elements sought black separation and social change through violent means. And so, at a time when there was tremendous turmoil in the country over the violence in Vietnam and in the streets of America over this social strife, the Black Panthers and other fringe groups sewed fear and hatred in response to racism, which at times made it more difficult to achieve long-term change. But it is also well seen in some darker elements of black history and the leadership that has struggled to find the best way forward for African Americans. Sometimes it is necessary for radical elements to make themselves known, so that reasonable members of the community know the outer limits and find a compromise. This was of value to the black power movement because it charged the debate, albeit violently, and more importantly, the importance of reasonable Americans coming together to seek peaceful change. But there is another good thing that came out of the black power movement. These images of raised fists were images of pride and a willingness to stand up for the rights of black Americans. They inspired a generation of young people to become more politically active, stand up in their own world, and make that statement made famous by James Brown's Say it Loud. I'm Black and I'm proud. That pride is an important thing and for young people to find. They need to find it in their communities and in their heroes. So if Black youth have the pride and courage to face their own situation based on the courageous attitude of leaders who, though radical, said out loud that black America would now be a force to be reckoned with, the resulting call to action for the black community produced far more positive effects than negative ones. The fringe voice speaks to what is in people's hearts and thus, that he got that anger and frustration out, he became part of a movement. And the end result was a movement that was fueled to change and improve life for all of black America. And that was what everyone wanted.