Culture from the midnight hour : a critical reassessment of the black power movement in twentieth century America
Abstract
The thesis seeks to develop a more sophisticated view of the black power movement in
twentieth century America by analysing the movement’s cultural legacy. The rise, maturation
and decline of black power as a political force had a significant impact on American culture,
black and white, yet to be substantively analysed.
The thesis argues that while the black power movement was not exclusively cultural it
was essentially cultural. It was a revolt in and of culture that was manifested in a variety of
forms, with black and white culture providing an index to the black and white world view. This
independent black culture base provided cohesion to a movement otherwise severely lacking
focus and structural support for the movement’s political and economic endeavours. Each
chapter in the PhD acts as a step toward understanding black power as an adaptive cultural term
which served to connect and illuminate the differing ideological orientations of movement
supporters and explores the implications of this. In this manner, it becomes possible to
conceptualise the black power movement as something beyond a cacophony of voices which
achieved few tangible gains for African-Americans and to move the discussion beyond
traditional historiographical perspectives which focus upon the politics and violence of the
movement.
Viewing the movement from a cultural perspective places language, folk culture, film,
sport, religion and the literary and performing arts in a central historical context which served to
spread black power philosophy further than political invective. By demonstrating how culture
served to broaden the appeal and facilitate the acceptance of black power tenets it is possible to
argue that the use of cultural forms of advocation to advance black power ideologies contributed
significantly to making the movement a lasting influence in American culture – one whose
impact could be discerned long after its exclusively political agenda had disintegrated.
Type
Thesis, PhD Doctor of Philosophy
Rights
Embargo Date: Electronic copy restricted temporarily
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