Posted: March 11th, 2023

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In this activity, students will develop a chronology and timeline to demonstrate how the Black Power movement developed and evolved, beginning as a distinct set of events and incorporating social and cultural aspects from the Civil Rights movement prior to 1968 to have far-reaching effects on the contemporary era. 

Since the Black Power movement developed amid the backdrop of the Cold War, federal agencies wielded great power in the US, interacted directly with various organizations, and kept detailed records that were “classified,” or out of public view. 

Over the years, historians have relied on the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to request access to records from federal agencies to better understand the workings and dynamics of government and related agencies at the time. Look through the archives to gain a sense of the types of primary sources you are working with. 

In African American history, the post–Civil Rights era is defined as the period in the United States since Congressional passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968. Each landmark legislation created important avenues of change by ending segregation, ensuring federal oversight and enforcement of voter registration and electoral practices in states or areas with a history of discriminatory practices, and ending discrimination in renting or buying housing. But African Americans have made substantial strides in the post–Civil Rights era. 

In this assignment, your task will be to use the archival evidence from the 1960s to 2000s to chronologically order at least 8 milestone events and connect them to political, economic, cultural, and social strides or setbacks made. A template will be provided to help trend, spot, and visualize the connections. 

For the chronology, identify your chosen 8 critical events or milestones based on the sources you have found, for example, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., the Bakke Decision and Affirmative Action, Chisolm’s bid for President, Jesse Jackson’s galvanization of Black voters, the LA riots, etc. 

Step 1 Assess the Archives to Identify 8 Milestone Events

To develop the chronology, work with archival documents from the 

National Archives African American Heritage CollectionLinks to an external site.

 (and 

The Digital Public Library of AmericaLinks to an external site.

. 

https://www.archives.gov/research/african-americans/black-power

https://dp.la/primary-source-sets/the-black-power-movement#tabs

The images, audio, photographs, data, and other records contain information on the Black Power Movement of the 1960s and 1970s and more specifically:

· The Nation of Islam (NOI),

· Deacons for Defense and Justice

· Black Panther Party for Self-Defense (BPP)

· Congressional Black Caucus

· Women in Black Power

· The Black Arts Movement

Also included are records of several individuals:

· Malcolm X

· Stokely Carmichael

· Elaine Brown

· Angela Davis

· Fred Hampton

· Amiri Baraka

· Shirley Chisholm
 

Step 2 Develop a Chronology

Historians utilize chronology and periodization to make sense of events. It is useful to organize and sort dates, events, and larger time periods into meaningful categories based on time. However, historians are also aware that history is not “neat” or “linear” and that there are often multiple overlapping events that form a “web” or even an “onion” with many layers to peel away! This is especially true of African American history. Identify eight milestone events for the chronology.  

Step 3 Conduct Historical Detective Work 

Complete the 

Chronology Worksheet.

 Download Chronology Worksheet.

Consider causality, which is one of the “5 Cs.” What were the causes and implications of the specific archives? Sort 

at least 8 specific primary source documents
 from the two archival collections (documents, images, texts) into one or more of the decades listed in the chronology. 

Identify if the document’s milestone event demonstrated a political, economic, cultural, or social impact. Remember that milestones could happen during a specific year but have broad impacts beyond that year or decade and could have impacted multiple aspects of life. It will be important that you can explain why there was or is causality. 

You may wish to ask yourself questions like: 

· Who was involved and impacted by this?

· Who created this document?

· What was it intended to accomplish?

· Was this a positive step in the right direction?

· Were there any negative outcomes?

· What would general American reactions at the time be? Why?

Step 4 Prepare the Analysis 

After carefully reviewing and critically analyzing each primary source and completing the Chronology Worksheet, working with 8 different archives, develop a
 750–1000-word (3-4 page) summary analysis essay addressing each of the following questions:

· Proponents of the Black Power Movement were often viewed as being violent and racist. How do the resources you utilized in this primary source activity challenge that image?

· In what specific ways did the events of the late 1960s and 1970s set the stage for the contemporary era of the 1980s through the present? 

· Multiple sources in the set are from FBI investigations of the Black Panther Party and activism of the post-Civil Rights era. What does this reveal about the magnitude and impact of the Black Power Movement in the United States?

It is necessary to cite sources to support your perspective for this paper.

Include at least 4 of the primary sources you investigated in this activity and any other readings from the course that support your points. 

Cite all sources in 

APA format.

Submit the annotations and the essay in the same document, using the Worksheet above. The final submission must include (in one document): 

· The completed chronology worksheet with at least 8 milestones, with supporting sources for each one

· A 3–4-page analysis essay addressing the questions above and supporting your arguments with at least 4 cited primary sources 

Chronology Worksheet

Part I: Chronology Worksheet

Directions: Using the archives provided, pinpoint at least
8 key milestones (note that there is room for extra) that show an evolution of the Civil Rights movement during the post-Civil Rights era.

For each key milestone, fill in the specific year, cause, effect, and connection to political, economic, social, or cultural impacts.

You may indicate connection across multiple areas. Use the chronology to develop a summary analysis in Part II, below.

Time Period (Decade)

Specific Date

(Year)

Key Milestone

Title and Link to Primary Source Examined

Short or Long-term Cause

Major Effect

Political

Economic

Social

Cultural

1960s

1963

March on Washington

Chisholm Enters Political Arena

https://www.archives.gov/research/african-americans/individuals/shirley-chisholm

Grassroots protest of racial discrimination

Support for civil rights legislation

X

X

X

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

Part II: Written Analysis

After carefully reviewing and critically analyzing each primary source and completing the Chronology Worksheet, working with 8 different archives, develop a 750–1000-word (3-4 page) summary analysis essay addressing each of the following questions:

1. Proponents of the Black Power Movement were often viewed as being violent and racist. How do the resources you utilized in this primary source activity challenge that image?

2. Multiple resources in the set are from FBI investigations of the Black Panther Party and activism of the post-Civil Rights era. What does this reveal about the magnitude and impact of the Black Power Movement in the United States?

3. In what specific ways did the events of the late 1960s and 1970s set the stage for the contemporary era of the 1980s through the present?