Who popularized the slogan 'Black Power,' signaling a shift in the Civil Rights Movement, and in what year?

• A. Martin Luther King Jr., 1963
• B. Malcolm X, 1965
• C. Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture), 1966
• D. Rosa Parks, 1960

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is when the phrase “Black Power” entered public usage as a signal of a shift in how the Civil Rights Movement approached change. In 1966, Stokely Carmichael, then a leading figure in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, popularized the slogan during a speech and rally, helping to frame a new direction for Black political and cultural empowerment. This moment marked a move beyond the era’s focus on integration and nonviolence, toward an emphasis on black self-determination, pride, and community control of political and economic resources.

This shift didn't come from a single, uninterrupted path but reflected growing frustration with slow progress and the desire for more autonomous approaches to achieving rights and dignity. Carmichael’s framing influenced later movements and organizations, and it sparked ongoing discussions within the civil rights landscape about strategy, leadership, and the balance between nonviolent tactics and self-reliant activism.