New Directions

• Objectives:• List some of the factors

responsible for discontent among some African Americans

• Explain what new philosophies were developed by African Americans to deal with discontent

New Leadership

• Civil Rights has slow gains

• African Americans adopt a new, more radical approach to fight racial prejudice

• Willingness to use violence to protect themselves and to achieve just treatment

Black Muslims

• Founded in the 1930’s by Elijah Muhammad

• Embraced Islam• Preached black

nationalism which pushes for separation from whites to create their own nation

Malcolm X

• Very gifted speaker for the Nation of Islam

• “Stop singing and start swinging”

• Became more moderate and was assassinated in 1965

Black Power

• Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) becomes more radical

• SNCC embraces black power

• Violent acts will be justified and preached racial distinctiveness

• Split the Civil Rights Movement

Black Panthers

• Militant black power group• Used confrontations to force equal

rights• Large riots in the North and South• Investigated by Kerner Commission

and ghettos create riot situations

Assassination of MLK

• MLK assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee on April 4, 1968

• James Earl Ray admitted to the assassination

Riots in Response

• One week of riots in response to this assassination