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Difficulty: HardThe Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s

"No matter how endlessly they try to explain it, the term 'black power' means anti-white power. In a pluralistic society, we cannot survive by isolation. It has to mean that in a sharing, integrated society we have to have black and white power together... We of the NAACP will have none of this. We have fought too long and too hard against bigotry to yield to a new form of it."

— Roy Wilkins, Executive Director of the NAACP, address to the NAACP annual convention, July 5, 1966

Which of the following developments within the civil rights movement of the 1960s does the perspective expressed in the excerpt most directly reflect?

  1. Growing internal divisions over the goals of integration and the rise of Black nationalismAnswer
  2. B
    A broad consensus among civil rights organizations that militant separation was the most effective path to equality
  3. C
    Unanimous agreement that the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 had resolved all major racial inequalities
  4. D
    A unified push to merge the civil rights agenda with the social welfare programs of the New Deal

Answer

Growing internal divisions over the goals of integration and the rise of Black nationalism
The correct answer is correct because it identifies the deep philosophical rift that emerged in the mid-1960s. Roy Wilkins' public condemnation of 'Black Power' at the NAACP convention highlights how traditional civil rights organizations, which focused on legal integration and coalition-building with white liberals, clashed with the rising Black Power and nationalist sentiments championed by younger activists in groups like SNCC and CORE.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the source document, including the author (Roy Wilkins, head of the NAACP), the date (1966), and the content of the quote.
The author is criticizing the concept of 'Black Power' as 'anti-white power' and asserting that the NAACP will not accept this philosophy.
This establishes that a major civil rights leader and organization are publicly opposing a new, prominent slogan and ideology within the movement.
2
Evaluate the historical context of the mid-1960s regarding the ideological directions of civil rights groups.
By 1966, organizations like SNCC and CORE were shifting away from nonviolence and integration toward Black Power, while the NAACP and SCLC maintained an integrationist stance.
This contextualizes Wilkins' speech as a response to the growing philosophical divide between moderate/traditional leaders and younger, more radical activists.
3
Evaluate the answer choices to identify the option that accurately describes this historical dynamic.
The option describing growing internal divisions over the goals of integration and the rise of Black nationalism directly matches the ideological tension shown in the speech.
It correctly identifies that the Civil Rights Movement was not a monolith, but rather marked by debate over its ultimate goals and methods.

Key Concept

The ideological and strategic divisions within the Civil Rights Movement in the mid-to-late 1960s
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Topics

The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s

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