Support for Black Power

• • Stokely Carmichael of the SNCC set up a political party as a campaign on issues that black people cared about
  • Carmichael was elected chairman of the SNCC in 1966 and moved away from non-violent direct action
  • The SNCC and CORE’s support for Black Power lost them both black and white supporters
• • In Mississippi in June 1966, James Meredith started the March Against Fear to protest the violence in the South
  • He was shot on the second day so MLK and Stokely Carmichael took over
• • Carmichael’s militant speeches won many people over despite King’s calls for non-violence
• • In the 1968 Mexico Olympics, two black Americans raised their fists in the Black Power symbol on the podium
  • They were booed by the crowd, and were suspended from the US Olympic team
  • They received death threats and the press criticised their public political action
  • However, they inspired many young black people to join the Black Power movement