FREE ESSAY ON THE POWER OF THE FIST

THE POWER OF THE FIST

The Power of the Fist
*
* Black Power is a phrase that has instilled both pride and hope
*into the souls of black people, while simultaneously striking fear into
*the hearts of whites. 'No two words in contemporary American society have
*been more controversial or misunderstood than Black Power' (Fager, cover).
*This misunderstanding is what made the Black Power Movement so receptive
*among African-Americans, but threatening to whites. After
*African-Americans became disenchanted with the Civil Rights Movement, a
*new concept rose to the forefront of black ideology. The Black Power
*Movement began to reshape black consciousness during the mid-sixties, and
*left an everlasting impression on American society. According to Maulana
*Karenga, The Black Power Movement can be  divided into three basic
*tendencies or thrusts: 1) the religious thrusts; 2) the cultural thrust;
*and 3) the political thrust (Karenga, pg.172). These three thrusts
*united a mass of black people, who shared a common struggle, common
*concerns, and a common consciousness. Throughout this paper I will
*explore these indispensable components of The Black Power Movement,
*focusing on each ones theories and contributions to the struggle for
*economic, political, and social change.
* The strong religious content within the Black Power Movement is
*what really allowed this social movement to appeal to the masses. Without
*this religious element, it is very difficult to assembly a mass movement.
*A key component in the Movements success was its redefining of the current
*world order and providing a moral justification for the struggle. At the
*forefront of this new perspective was both Christian and Islamic
*leadership. The most vocal religious leader during The Black Power
*Movement was the Nation of Islam's' Malcolm X. Malcolm preached Elijah
*Muhammads bold gospel, which painted God black and labeled
*African-Americans as Gods chosen people. This was not the first time
*African-Americans heard such bold affirmations to instill racial pride.
*Almost fifty years prior to Malcolm's emergence, Marcus Garvey preached
*similar ideas of racial pride. Diffused by the U.S. government, Garveys
*movement loss its political power, and Elijah Muhammad built upon Garvey's
*foundation of racial solidarity. Malcolms contribution is so important
*because his message broke many of the mental chains that remained from
*slavery. African-Americans no longer believed that it was gods will for
*them to be in a subservient position, and began to speak out. Most
*importantly, Malcolm made black people realize that they had a right to
*defend themselves against anyone who threatened them, their families, and
*community regardless of skin color. Malcolm and the Nation of Islam were
*publicly preaching against one of the biggest Taboo's in American Society.
*[T]his frightened some white people, because they knew that black people
*would now fight back. They knew that this was precisely what they would
*have long since done if they were subjected to the injustices and
*oppression heaped on blacks (Carmichael & Hamilton, pg. 53).
*
*The last component of Elijah Muhammad's ideology of racial solidarity was
*economic self-help. During the sixties the Nation of Islam opened
*businesses throughout the black community. This created jobs and boosted
*the economy within the black community. The Nation of Islam could not
*solve all the problems African-Americans faced, but felt Islam was a
*viable and necessary alternative to Christianity. The idea of armed
*self-defense was not exclusive to the Nation of Islam. Surprisingly,
*Christians, under the leadership of Albert Cleage began to adopt similar
*practices. Cleage, similar to Elijah Muhammad, changed the framework of
*the bible to represent his people. He portrayed Jesus as a Black
*revolutionary who led a national liberation struggle against a white
*power, Rome (Karenga pg. 173). This was also very different from the
*turn the other cheek, love you enemy methodology African-American
*Christians were familiar with and instituted during the Civil Rights
*Movement. This transformation of Christian belief was very in-tune with
*Black Nationalist theory once African-Americans became disillusioned with
*the non-violent, integrationist practices of the Civil Rights Movement.
* The cultural element within the Black Power Movement is just as an
*intrinsic component as religion and politics. The Black Power Movement
*redefined black consciousness, and provided the foundation for
*contemporary Afrocentric ideology. Redefining black culture during The
*Black Power Movement was absolutely essential because so much had been
*striped of African-Americans during slavery in the United States. The
*institution of slavery in America thrived on physical and mental
*dominance. The brutal force used during slavery was only necessary until
*the slaveholders could control the minds of the enslaved. Once this was
*accomplished, the slave was in acceptance with his subservient position
*and the physical chains were no longer needed. The imprisonment of the
*African mind was done in many ways. Enslaved Africans were forbidden to
*practice traditional African religions and forcibly converted to
*Christianity. Africans who attended church were continuously told to obey
*their master, as good Christians obey God. Africans were told that that
*they had no history and it was Gods will for them to be slaves. At this
*point Europeans were in control and everything revolved around Eurocentric
*values.
*In his novel, 1984, George Orwell wrote: 'Whoever controls the past,
*controls the future, whoever controls the present, controls the past'
*(Browder, pg.15).
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* A strong political voice is an intrinsic component to any social
*movement. Without a political voice the people are never heard, and thus
*remain in a stagnant position. The political message of the Black Power
*Movement could be heard through the voice of many leaders of various key
*organizations. Stokely Carmichael led SNCC into the Black Nationalist
*political forum during the mid-sixties. Charmichael believed that It is
*white power that makes the laws, and it is violent white power in the
*forum of armed white cops that enforces those laws with guns and night
*sticks (Finkenbine pg.192). This is why Charmichael transformed the SNCC
*organization from non-violent to militant. Because whites make the laws
*and enforce the status quo, black become powerless. Charmichaels call for
*Black Power was a call for black people to begin to define their own
*goals, to lead their own organizations and to support those
*organizations(Carmichael, Hamilton pg.44). It is absolutely
*essential(change) for African-Americans to run and support their own
*organizations, otherwise the concerns of the community are lulled along
*with the political power of the organization. It is very hard to address
*the concerns of the black community from the outside looking in. No
*other group would submit to being led by other. Italians do not run the
*Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith. Irish do not chair Christopher
*Columbus Societies(Carmichael, Hamilton pg.53). African-Americans need a
*strong hold on their organizations, similar to the Members Only policy
*for United States Presidents. None of these men held a direct bond with
*the black community. In 1957, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower saw no
*inherent need to stop the unconstitutional acts of Arkansas Governor Orval
*Faubus. Unless African-Americans use these organizations to address it'
*concerns, the movement for economic, political, and social change will
*continue to lose ground.
* Content on standing his ground by any means necessary, Malcolm X
*reached to those beyond the Islamic realm. Malcolms political message
*