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Difficulty: MediumThe Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s

Source: Stokely Carmichael, 'What We Want,' 1966

'One of the tragedies of the struggle against racism is that up to now there has been no national organization which could speak to the growing militancy of young black people in the urban ghettos. There has been only a leadership and a rhetoric framed in terms of free integration into the middle class... integration in this country has meant that a few blacks are allowed into the white middle class, while the masses are left behind.'

Which of the following developments within the civil rights movement of the 1960s is best illustrated by the excerpt?

  1. A
    The emergence of a unified consensus among civil rights leaders that legislative victories had resolved the core issues of racial inequality
  2. The growing tactical and philosophical divisions between mainstream integrationists and proponents of Black PowerAnswer
  3. C
    The alignment of grassroots civil rights organizations with the federal government's containment strategies during the Cold War
  4. D
    The push by civil rights organizations to prioritize New Deal labor coalition strategies over Great Society antipoverty programs

Answer

The growing tactical and philosophical divisions between mainstream integrationists and proponents of Black Power
The correct answer is correct because Stokely Carmichael's writing illustrates the significant tactical and philosophical shift that occurred within the civil rights movement in the mid-1960s. Activists in organizations like the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) grew frustrated with the slow pace of change and the focus of traditional leaders on legal integration. Instead, they began to champion Black Power, which emphasized self-determination, cultural pride, and addressing systemic economic inequality in urban areas.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the source text to identify the author's argument.
The author critiques existing civil rights leaders for focusing on middle-class integration, which left behind the masses in urban ghettos.
Understanding the core argument is necessary to connect the source to historical developments.
2
Contextualize the critique within the civil rights movement of the mid-to-late 1960s.
Identify the rise of the Black Power movement and its emphasis on economic self-determination and criticism of integration.
This places the document's perspectives within the broader national shifts of the era.
3
Evaluate the choices to determine which historical development aligns with the document's focus.
The growing divide between traditional integrationist leaders and more militant activists matches the document's critique.
This selects the choice that accurately represents the historical trend demonstrated by the source.

Key Concept

Internal debates and ideological shifts within the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s

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