Malcolm X and the Black Power Movement (WJEC Eduqas GCSE History): Revision Note

Summary

During the early 1960s, not all campaigners agreed with the non-violent methods used by Martin Luther King. Many black Americans felt that peaceful protest was achieving too little, especially in communities that continued to face poverty, discrimination and police violence. The ideas of Malcolm X became increasingly influential during this time. He encouraged Black pride, self-confidence and the belief that people had the right to defend themselves when necessary. His messages inspired many to take greater control of their own lives and helped the rise of the Black Power movement. Supporters of Black Power argued that real progress would only come through strength, unity and pride in Black culture. Their growing influence shaped civil rights campaigns across the United States in the late 1960s.

Who was Malcolm X?

• Malcolm X was born into poverty and spent time in prison as a young man

• His beliefs and ideas changed throughout his life, but he was known for arguing in favour of:

  • Using armed resistance when necessary

  • Racial separation

  • Rejecting non-violence

  • Promoting Black pride and culture

Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam (NOI)

Impact of Malcolm X

• Malcolm X was a fiercely intelligent and highly effective public speaker

  • He was very charismatic and confrontational

  • His ability to inspire and educate led to the Nation of Islam (NOI) membership expanding to over 100,000 by 1963

  • Many people believe his popularity directly led to the formation of the Black Power movement

• His approach also attracted a great deal of opposition and claims that he encouraged violence and hatred

  • He had called on black people to defend themselves by ‘by any means necessary’ and described white people as ‘collectively’ evil in a TV interview

• Malcolm left the Nation of Islam in 1964 after falling out with its leader, Elijah Muhammad

  • He then travelled to Mecca and was profoundly affected by the shared experience with Muslims of different nationalities and skin colours

  • It caused him to reject his old beliefs about racial separation

• He decided to enable cooperation between the civil rights groups by: 

  • Setting up the Organisation of Afro-American Unity (OAAU) 

  • Founding a religious group called Muslim Mosque Inc

• He met with the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) leaders to find a way of working together to advance the civil rights cause

• Any plans Malcolm may have had for increased cooperation were ended when he was shot 15 times by an NOI assassin

  • He had previously survived his home being firebombed by members of the NOI

  • Over 15,000 people attended his funeral on 27 February 1965

The Black Power Movement

• By 1963, many black Americans had become frustrated by what they saw as a lack of progress made by the non-violent approach

  • Malcolm X’s confrontational stance appealed to a lot of people who were living in both segregated and impoverished conditions

  • These people were angry at the treatment they received from white America and the treatment their ancestors had received

• Some black Americans began to argue that they shouldn’t wait for white Americans to grant them improved rights

• They also argued against accepting help from white Americans who supported their cause

• Instead, they took pride in their culture and heritage and demanded change

• This approach to achieving improved civil rights became known as Black Power

  • Members of the Black Power movement believed that self-defence was justified

  • They also campaigned on social issues such as unemployment and poor housing in the black community

• The Black Power Movement was brought to the attention of the entire world during the Mexico Olympics of 1968

  • Tommy Smith and John Carlos were gold and bronze-medal-winning athletes in the 200 metres

  • As the US national anthem was played during their medal presentation, the pair bowed their heads and raised a gloved fist into the air

  • This had become known as the Black Power salute

• The  protest meant that the Black Power movement gained enormous media attention

  • It inspired many Black Americans to join their struggle

• However, it came at a huge personal cost to Smith and Carlos, who:

  • Received numerous death threats

  • They were widely criticised by politicians and the media

  • Suspended from the US Olympic team

The Black Panthers

• The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was established by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale in 1966

• Malcolm X and communist revolutionaries such as Che Guevara inspired them 

  • They adopted a military-style uniform of black trousers, black leather jacket and black beret

  • They openly carried guns to protect themselves and tape recorders to record incidents of police harassment

  • Their political agenda was to transform American society through a ten-point plan

• Many impoverished black American communities initially benefited from the impact of the Black Panthers

• The Black Panthers helped to: 

  • Create clinics 

    • To help give free advice to black Americans on both rights and healthcare

  • Decrease gang violence

  • Create education programs 

    • To help foster pride in black American heritage and history

  • Create free breakfast programmes 

    • In poor communities

• Their encouragement of carrying arms led to:

  • An increase in the number of shootouts 

  • People storming government buildings

  • Department stores being blown up

• This led many white Americans to see them as a violent and dangerous enemy 

  • Making them unsympathetic to the civil rights cause 

• The influence and importance of the Black Panthers steadily declined over the years due to: 

  • Infiltration by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents

  • The imprisonment or murder of key members