"The Basis of Black Power" - Discussion Questions
- Review: Who wrote this document? When was it written?
- What audience was this document written for? How might that have influenced its content and format?
- What emotions do some African Americans feel? How are these emotions expressed in this document? Do you think Jews would have been surprised by these feelings?
- What tensions between African Americans and whites existed at this time? What evidence can you find of these tensions in this document?
- Near the beginning of the document the author states that African Americans are not "anti-white." Based on this source, do you agree or disagree? What is your evidence?
- What role does SNCC want to see whites play? What role does SNCC want to see blacks play? How are these roles different from the roles white and blacks have been playing in the Civil Rights Movement up to this point? How do you think many whites (including Jews) may have felt about these new roles?
- Black Power was a new way for African Americans to respond to the tensions they felt in the Civil Rights Movement. What is new and/or different about the actions and policies suggested in SNCC's position paper?
