Black Power
On June 5, 1966, James Meredith begins his March Against Fear, a solo trek from Memphis, Tennessee, to Jackson, Mississippi. His point‹that a black person cannot walk unmolested through the South — is quickly made. He is wounded by a white sniper on the second day. Other activists, including Martin Luther King and the new SNCC chairman Stokely Carmichael, continue the march. Along the route, Carmichael delivers a famous speech, which helps to popularize the slogan "black power." Meredith rejoins the walk on June 25, and the event ends the next day with a rally of 30,000 people at the Mississippi state capitol.
The concept of Black Power continues to gain momentum, although it means different things to different groups. Some people worry that it is a dangerous form of reverse racism. Others see it as the best way to inspire pride among African Americans. In October 1966, the Black Panther party is founded in Oakland, California, by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. The idea behind the Panthers is that violence may be needed to protect the black people and advance their interests. |
| Tommy Smith and John Carlos giving Black Power Salute, 1968 Olympics, Mexico City. Photographer Unknown Courtesy of Shomburg Center, NYPL |