Black Power Movement
Black people's discontent with the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s gave rise to the Black Power movement. Despite not being a formal program, the Black Power Movement marked a turning point in both how black people in the United States perceived themselves and their interactions with white people. While some people perceived the change as a proactive force that was focused on assisting blacks in achieving complete equality with whites, others saw it as a militant, reactionary movement. which there were times it was violent with the primary goal of creating a rift between whites and blacks.
Prominent Figures and Advocates
Both the Black Power and the Civil Rights movements had advocates that were prominent figures like Malcolm X and Stoke Carmichael. Malcolm X focused on themes of black manhood and black pride while Carmichael utilized the phrase "black power" to motivate people to fight for what they believed in and he also emphasizes the self-love, self-worth, and self-control of the blacks (Franklin 478). Carmichael also stressed on the blacks having control of their institutions and communities. People like Martin Luther King Jr. and Thurgood Marshall had significant roles in the civil rights movement. Dr. King used peaceful protests in order to fight for civil justice. Thurgood Marshall, as well as other black attorneys, used the courts for voting rights, integrating secondary education and public transportation, employment and salaries equality, and equal access to housing (Franklin 502).
Similarities and Differences
The black power and civil rights movements had ideas that were similar and different. African Americans were divided on how to achieve racial equality during this period (Franklin 581). Both wanted blacks and whites to be given the same respect as each other. The black people in both movements were tired of being treated as lesser and tired of being treated with disrespect. The black power movement was about being proud of being black, ethnic self-determination, and a separate black nation (Franklin 550). While for the civil rights movement, though it was important to be proud of who you were, these people stood for integration. They wanted to see blacks and whites living together as one. The Civil Rights Movement was non-violent and also employed non-violent protests and civil disobedience as a method of achieving their goals. The Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1956 is an early example of a peaceful Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most prominent leaders of the Civil Rights Movement.
Black Lives Matter Movement
Black Lives Matter is an activist movement that is international that campaigns against systemic racism and violence against black people. The history of black lives matter is based and is relevant because of the history of discrimination and prejudice that African Americans have had to face since the time of slavery (Khury 174). The black lives matter still fights for the rights of African Americans, but it was mainly triggered by the killings of innocent unarmed blacks by the police and whites. This movement is not one that is new, but in truthfulness, it's a new age twenty-first-century continuation of the civil rights movement. Instead of segregated busses and schooling, we have young black men and women being gun downed by police officers who often are found not guilty and viewed as the victims of these heinous crimes (Khury 210).
Continuing Fight for Equality
The form of injustice towards blacks has changed, but the injustice itself is all the same. There comes a time where a community becomes fed up with the wrongs displayed in the country they live in. The "Black Lives Matter" movement isn't just something to rant and become indignant about blacks are coming together as a body of people one in the same with knowledge and power to spark change. This movement will not be one that will be forgotten or left on the back burner blacks of all ages, political, ethical, and geographical backgrounds are coming together for a greater purpose. Black lives matter in addition to Black power has become a political phenomenon that cannot be silenced. African American communities are in an uproar, and they will not stand for the disturbing injustices that have been occurring any longer.
Legacy and Impact
The Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power Movement were the foundations for many activist groups with individuals who feel undermined and discriminated against them. This two movements shaped the African Americans to the people that they are today regarding fighting for their rights to be treated as equals. Many African American youths draw their inspiration, strength, and insight from these movements and their leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Many blacks credit their political and legal victories to the Black Power Movement and more especially to the Civil Rights Movement (Higginbotham 201). The leaders from these groups helped solidify a precedent which has made it challenging to undermine and disintegrate the fundamental human rights in the 21st century (Brooks 474).
Continuation of the Fight for Justice
The Civil Rights Movement stands out as one that confronted the Judiciary as well as the Supreme Court with bold proclivity and reminded the Government responsibility and role as the protector of individual liberties against the robust and powerful. Blacks today have the even greater courage and are more aggressive in standing up for themselves the Black Lives Matter Movement being a good example of their resilience and boldness to be heard. The Black Lives Matter Movement is more aggressive with more case of violence being reported; it deepens, broadens, complicates, and refines the demands of the groups that came before them (Brooks 501). This movement demands reparations for racial discrimination usually in the form of open and free access to technical education programs, public universities, and colleges for all which also includes and most especially the incarcerated and undocumented individuals.
Ongoing Struggle and Challenges
There is still more that should be done for the black people especially when it comes to protecting them against the bias that police have in regards to profiling them or conducting arrests. The reason why Black Lives Matter Movement was developed was that of the killings of black people and the persistent inequality which has resulted in the need for race-conscious remedies. Even though blacks and whites get the same education, there is still a racial gap in family incomes. Richard Spencer, an American Supremacist, advocates for a white homeland where America would be established as a white ethnostate (Maritza 499).
Spencer also supports legal access to abortion as he believes that it would be an opportunity to reduce the number of black and Hispanic people which he thinks will be advantageous to the white people. A lot of white Americans believe the United States has done more than enough for the blacks as they have equal education and opportunities. Despite Hispanics being a larger population, it does not receive a lot of attention and compensation like blacks mainly because of the lack of attention from Hispanic political organizations and media outlets. Nevertheless, for blacks, many of the high-profile cases of blacks being killed in police custody have reached the national spotlight, and this is after black media and activist groups sparked outrage (Higginbotham 102).
Conclusion
The "Black lives matter movement" is a definite case that will continue to get stronger and gain momentum. For all of the opposition, this move has met the alliance and agreement it has acquired are times over. This political issue will not be hushed or downgraded it is alive and well. African Americans along with many whites and people of different cultural backgrounds are beginning to continue the work of great activists like Dr. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and Rosa Parks and so on and so forth. They stand for the lives lost such as Travon Marin, Eric Garner, Sandra Bland, Mike Brown and so many more black lives that have been lost just in the last four years due to police brutality and the racial profiling of many white Americans.
Works cited
Evelyn Higginbotham. "Meet White Lives Matter: The Racist Response to the Black Lives Matter Movement."Southern Poverty Law Center. (2014); 88 198..https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2016/03/18/meet-white-lives-matter-racist-response-black-lives-matter-movement
Perez, Maritza. "Before We Say 'No More Drug War,' We Need to Shout 'Black Lives Matter' and 'Not One More'" The Huffington Post. (2009); 414-687. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maritza-perez/no-more-drug-war-racism_b_10616636.html
Khury Petersen-Smith, ISR, Politics, and Struggle in a New Era, July (2009), 147-257. http://isreview.org/issue/96/black-lives-matter
John Hope. "Fighting for Civil Rights in the Courts." From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African Americans. (2010); N.p.: n.p., n.d. 471-601 Print.
Franklin Brooks. "Black Power’s Antecedents." From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African Americans. N.p.: n.p., n.d.(2012); 450-552 Print
