The earliest known usage of the term “Black Power” is found in Richard Wright’s 1954 book Black Power. However, Carmichael used “Black Power” as a political slogan to replace the “Freedom Now!” slogan popular at the time.
Carmichael felt the movement was not just to end racial desegregation, but rather to unite the Black community to end systemic racism. He first coined the term institutional racism in 1967 with Charles V. Hamilton in the book, “Black Power: The Politics of Liberation,” noting that while individual racism is often identifiable because of its overt nature, institutional racism is less perceptible, but no less destructive.
Even after the Black Power movement declined in the late 1970s, its impact continues to be felt for generations. With its emphasis on Black pride and self-determination, Black Power influenced everything from popular culture to education to politics. The legacy of the Black Power movement lives on in the Black Lives Matter movement and Black Out Day 2020 with efforts to combat systemic racism and social, economic and political injustices.