Final Reflection

Now that we are at the end of the semester, I want to say that this class helped change my perception of the Black Power movement, but I really did not know much about it beforehand. I think part of that is because, like we talked about in class, the BPM did not result in changes in policies the way the civil rights movement did, but I also think some of it may be due to the controversial nature of the BPM. Over time, it has been easy to sanitize the CRM, but the BPM remains controversial and subversive to this day.

I am happy that I learned about it, though. As a person who is minoring in history, I really appreciate having a more dynamic understanding of the ’60s and ’70s. I think it is important to not paint groups as a monolith, and this class gave me a better understanding of the different reactions to the diverse problems plaguing the country back then. Of course, those problems still exist today, and I think Black Power ideology is still incredibly relevant. I was surprised by how often I found myself nodding my head in agreement as I did the assigned readings.

It was also interesting learning about how much those ideas influenced popular culture and art. I remember having a conversation once about why the band Arrested Development would use so much African imagery despite being from America. I had a vague understanding that it was probably so they could stay in touch with their roots, but it makes more sense now that we have studied black cultural nationalists. While watching movies for this class, I think there is a lot of art that has been maligned because the Black Power politics in them are not apparent, with The Wiz being the best example of that. While the movie is definitely overlong and boring, I can appreciate it because of the important message all of the characters convey.

As we get further and further away from the era of Black Power, it gets easier and easier for its history to be erased, which is a shame because of how much modern politics and art are enriched by having an understanding of that time. That goes to show just how influential those advocates were, and it was nice being educated about them, especially because of how much strife they went through to express their ideas. I feel I have a wider worldview now.