Black Nationalism and Black power Movement
The leader that stood out to me was Constance Baker who was determined to promote and achieve black power. He defined black power as a temporary strategy used by the black population in the struggle to achieve an integrated American society. She assumed a leading role in most of the major civil rights cases during the 20th century. She fought for equality in the education by providing legal assistance in cases where black were denied chances in colleges. Baker endured several hardships and even assaults in desegregation cases in the South. Before reading this textbook, I had a belief that only men were involved in leadership during the movement. I was able to learn that women also played an important role in liberating the Black people living in America during that period.
I was able to learn and know the difference between Black Nationalism and Black Power. To start with, Black Nationalism is a political movement advocating for black pride and integration of the group, and identify with the African culture. The movement also advocates for working towards construction of social institutions that are all black1. On the other hand, Black Power advocates for social equity and racial pride achieved through the creation of Black cultural and political institutions. What fascinated me most was the idea that Black Nationalism movement was more of a strategy used by the Blacks to segregate themselves from the white population.
If asked to pick on significant even during this time, I would go for Rosa Parks. This is so because it is only after her arrest that the famous Montgomery Bus Boycott initiated. Her act of defiance provided a basis for staging the Montgomery Bus Boycott2. I would like to ask the class to clarify to me if Black Nationalism was not an attempt by the Americans to segregate themselves from the white population.
References
Hine, Darlene, Hine, William and Harrold, Stanley. The African-American Odyssey, 5th ed. New Jersey: Pearson, 2011.
Robinson, Dean. Black Nationalism in American Politics and Thought. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001.
