Black Power (Lack of Progress)

Question 1

How did the Black Power movement hinder the development of African American rights

Answer 1

• By accepting violence, the supporters of Black Power undermined kings’ policy of maintaining
  the moral high ground and lost much of the sympathy he had fought so hard to gain
• It was never clear what the aims of Black Power were – it created division rather than unity
• Black Panther shootout in 1969 led to the death of 27 panthers
• A minority of African Americans, who were championing Black Power, were also reinforcing the
  stereotypical views of black people which negatively affected the relations between whites
  and blacks

Question 2

How did the Black Power movement hinder the development of NAI rights

Answer 2

• Indications since WWII that NA were becoming increasingly unified in resistant to government policy
e.g termination

• Already pressure groups that were achieving success, NCAI.

• Militancy already a feature of NA protest.
- National Indian Youth Council

• Developments in civil rights campaign and an increasing receptiveness amongst public and
politicians may have inspired wave or protest due to a belief in success.

• Militancy was a response to the conditions of poverty many NA were forced to live in.
- Aggravated by urbanisation

Question 3

How did the Black Power movement hinder the development of Trade Unions and workers rights

Answer 3

• The violence and militancy of the Black Power movement lost support for African Americans, not just
  among the white population but also among African Americans, and this may have limited their influence
• The Black Power movement put much of its emphasis on the differences between African Americans
  and White Americans, and did not argue for integration - this helped to create further divisions among
  the labour movement
• The Black Power movement did not place a great deal of emphasis on the economic position of African
  Americans, showing greater concern for culture, and therefore did little to improve their economic
  position
• The lack of concern about the economic position of African Americans is further emphasised by the fact
  that the economic position of African Americans was just one in a ten-point programme
• Black Power further divided both the civil rights movement and the trade union movement because it
  emphasised African American solidarity rather than worker unity
• The lack of concern among the Black Power movement to improve labour and union rights makes it
  difficult to argue that they played a crucial role in bringing about the advancement in the position of
  organised labour

Question 4

How did the Black Power movement hinder the development of womens rights

Answer 4

• Traditional male attitudes had impeded the development of women to leadership roles in the black
  power organisations – women still held a second status role
• Feminism was often seen by African American male activists as a white
• The different organisations in black power held particularly traditional views
• Revolutionary violence was often seen as essentially male – women who got involved in the
  revolutionary violence were often criticised
• Angela Davis – dedicated revolutionary – heavily criticised by members of the black power groups –
  even in the black power groups – they strongly brought forward the stereotypical masculine
  attitudes – they tied that to being authentically African
• Local activism often fell in to traditional female roles such as caring for family’s or supporting other
  women