Black Power

Black Power, slogan coined in the mid-1960s by militant black activists, particularly Stokely Carmichael of the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), to give voice to and inspire a growing black pride and aspiration for political power. A significant turning point in the history of Black Power occurred at the 1968 Summer Olympics when U.S. athletes receiving medals for their victory raised their fists in sympathy for this movement. It has evolved a multiplicity of meanings ranging from awareness of African-American economic potential to cultural and political organization.

See also: African Americans; Carmichael, Stokely.