Engines of the Black Power Movement

The decade of the 1960s was an era of protest in America, and strides toward racial equality were among the most profound effects of the challenges to America's status quo. But, have civil rights for African Americans been furthered, or even maintained, in the four decades since the Civil Rights movement began? To a certain extent, the movement is popularly perceived as having regressed, with the real issues tabled or hidden. With a view to assessing losses and gains, this collection of 17 essays examines the evolution and perception of the African-American civil rights movement from its inception through today. The first section of essays deals with cultural analysis, providing a synopsis of art history, music and religious studies centered on Africana. Essays from the Black Power perspective describe the artistic and political impetus that drove the social process of self-determination. Essays on the Black Arts movement center on cultural reclamation. A fourth group of essays examines African Americans and Islam. Finally, a section of essays on civil rights looks at look social policy concerns.