black power


noun (often initial capital letters)

the political and economic power of black Americans in solidarity, especially such power used for achieving social equality.

Origin of black power

An Americanism dating back to 1965–70

British Dictionary definitions for black power

Black Power

noun

a social, economic, and political movement of Black people, esp in the US, to obtain equality with White people

Cultural definitions for black power

Black Power

A movement that grew out of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. Black Power calls for independent development of political and social institutions for black people and emphasizes pride in black culture. In varying degrees, Black Power advocates called for the exclusion of whites from black civil rights organizations. Stokely Carmichael, one of the leaders of the movement and the head of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), stated: “I am not going to beg the white man for anything I deserve. I'm going to take it.”