Stokely Carmichael – Part 7: Carmichael becomes a Full-Time SNCC Activist
Apr, 18, 2009
Posted byContinuation of “Stokely Carmichael – Part 6: Freedom Rides and White Backlash”
Stokely Carmichael as a young activist in Lowndes County, AL.
… In 1964, after graduating from Howard University (majoring in philosophy) Stokely Carmichael refused to continue his academic career (there were various Phd offers) in order to become a full-time rebel joining the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).
In the same year the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP) – organized by the SNCC and the Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) – had failed to substitute the Mississippi’s “white-only” regular Democratic Party at the 1964 Democratic Party Convention.
Disillusioned with the Democratic Party’s rejection of the MFDP many SNCC activist turned away from Integrationism and towards Black Nationalism.
Carmichael was among the majority of the SNCC activist who regarded superflous continuing the effort toward Integrationism. Tired of soliciting the White power structure’s favor Stokely Carmichael stressed the importance of founding Black Independent Parties.
Thanks to an Alabama State Law that supported the creation of Political Parties on a County Level it was possible to set up a completely autonomous black political party with the intent to bypass the local branches of the two established political parties.
The SNCC decided to set up the party in Lowndes County – where Afro-Americans constituted 82% of the population as well as the majority of the registered voters – founding the Lowndes County Freedom Organization (LCFO).
Due to Alabama’s high illiteracy rate the above-mentioned state law prescribed every party to have a party symbol. Taking inspiration from a local college mascott the SNCC activists chose a black panther as their symbol bringing about the nickname Lowndes County Black Panther Party.
To be continued …
Posted in Black Activists, Stokely Carmichael by |
