Both the Civil Rights and the subsequent Black Power Movements played a significant role in promoting Black people’s rights. However, they acted differently, and in this difference lay their power. While the Civil Rights organized peaceful protests, adding legitimacy to black people’s claims, Black Power Movement engaged in street protests and violent acts. This combination of legal efforts and naked force brought about results that Afro-Americans had aspired for.
It is hard to overestimate the significance of these movements for advocating the rights of Afro-Americans. These movements were the first to show that black people’s rights counted no less than whites’ ones. Many legislative bills were passed thanks to the position of those proactive movements, the sole aim of which was to make the lives of black people better.
While the Civil Rights Movement was a peaceful initiative, Black Power Movement engaged in violent acts to promote its ideas. However, there were reasons for the difference in how the organizations operated. The Civil Rights Movement focused on changing legislation to promote black people’s lives. The Black Power Movement dealt with police arbitrariness and used violent methods to stand against police brutality to Afro-Americans. Many of its members’ aggressive acts can be seen as self-defense against lifeless state machinery.
Operating at different levels and embracing diverse aspects of Afro-Americans’ life, the organizations succeeded in making the lives of black people better. Many bills were adopted under pressure and out of fear of what these organizations would do if their demands were not met. Moreover, street protests called other people’s attention to the problems so that society has become acutely aware of the challenges it faced.
While the Civil Rights Movement concentrated on bringing changes into legislative acts through boycotts and street protests, the Black Power Movement promoted national pride. Due to its efforts, many Americans saw no reasons people should fall into categories based on their skin color. The initiatives of the Black Power Movement found support at all levels of American society and helped change people’s perceptions of the problem.
A modern prototype of those two movements is Black Lives Matter. The organization aims at protecting Afro-American rights and freedoms and is quick to respond to any injustice that has been done (AfricanAu, 2020). The organization unites people from all walks of life who are eager to share their professional knowledge to help each other in case of need.
References
AfricanAu. (2020). Sesame street explain black lives matter. YouTube. Web.