Malcolm X and Black Power

Although a triumphant success in the South, the civil rights movement failed to address the problems of Northern blacks, who by 1960 comprised half of America's black population. Although less blatant than in the South, and not supported by local laws, racial discrimination was still rife in the North. Blacks found it hard to escape the ghetto, and difficult to find decent jobs. Schools were not supposed to be segregated, but many were. And policemen in the Northern cities often treated blacks with contempt and violence. Blacks who migrated North had discovered that voting was no panacea, and that Northern whites who disapproved of racial segregation in the South still preferred to live in 'whites-only' suburbs themselves.

Malcolm X, a member of the Nation of Islam, vented the feelings of disillusionment and anger that were common in the Northern ghettos. A witty and articulate speaker, he openly castigated whites for being murderers and hypocrites. Like Marcus Garvey, he urged blacks to separate themselves from white society. He also ridiculed King for adhering to non-violence.

'Malcolm X's rejection of Christianity limited his appeal.'

Malcolm X's rejection of Christianity limited his appeal. Yet although his message was an extreme one, millions of blacks lauded his stress upon racial pride, and applauded him when he castigated white society. He was murdered in 1965, but despite this his message lived on for some years, and the urban riots that wracked America from 1964 to 1968 made it clear that many blacks had given up on the idea that non-violent protest could change conditions in the North.

By 1966 many civil rights workers had repudiated King's ideal of integration, and were calling instead for 'Black Power'. Members of groups such as the Black Panthers openly carried guns. By the time of King's assassination in 1968, the non-violent civil rights movement had ceased to be an effective force. The momentum towards a more violent approach was not, however, maintained for long, and it too had faded away by the early 1970s.

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