When you think of Martin Luther King, Stokely Carmichael, Malcolm X, Fred Hampton, and Angela Davis, you think of civil rights activists; civil rights leaders.
However, during their time period, they were some of the most despised people in America. They were virtually criminals.
When they walked down the streets they were not praised, they were pelted with rocks and words. They were a part of America's Most Wanted, and all they ever did was be black.
To live in a world where you're feared by your neighbor, by your brother, is living as a black man in a world that has constantly and consistently created fear, with the black man being painted as the villain every time.
Dr. King was the most passive of the leaders listed above, but people fail to realize that even he was painted as a criminal. He was said to be a liar (that was plastered across the front page of most Newspapers) and he was under constant surveillance by the FBI.
When I was younger, around 8 or 9 years old, I had a best friend who will remain anonymous. One day, after chorus practice, when her dad was picking us up, he referred to Dr. King as the "trouble maker". This thought that he stirred up trouble is not uncommon. In an essence, he did. He moved against the current, and the current did not approve. They looked at his marches as unnecessary and annoying, because in their minds nothing was worth all the commotion. Their rights were intact.
Let's not forget that the black community didn't, and still don't, agree with the passive approach. Many criticized King for not doing enough. It was almost like he brought words to a gun fight. They would be heard, but people would still get hurt.
More aggressive leaders like Malcolm X, Carmichael, and Hampton were striving for similar outcomes, however they criticized King's efforts as being ineffective.
While watching the 1966 CBS News Special Report: "Black Power/White Backlash", I was able to observe some of the effects of Stokely Carmichael's Black Power movement.
Stokely Carmichael was not afraid of words. He was not afraid to say it loud. The phrase Black Power raised many red flags within the white community. When people heard it for the first time, there was an understanding (falsely based, I must add) that this was meant to tear down and annihilate the white community as a whole.
The true meaning behind the phrase was to simply be unapologetically black, which even today, we find a hard task to complete. There's a certain level of discomfort that accompanies even the most subtle displays of blackness.
Malcom X said, "The most disrespected person in America is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America is the black woman."
That's why Angela Davis must not be forgotten. Thought the circumstances around her case was rather controversial, she represents the soul of the black woman. She was unapologetically black, even in her toughest moments. In Ava Duvernay's documentary, 13th, it's noted that even on her court date, where most women would have wanted to tone down any unruly parts of their appearance, Davis showed up with a full afro. That means a lot, because in today's society the afro and other black hairstyles such as dreadlocks are said to be messy, unprofessional, and unattractive. In front of all of the white faces that would ultimately chose her fate, she chose to come as she was.
I say all of this, not to give a history lesson, but to compare their lives to ours. The phrase #BlackGirlMagic can be compared to Black Power simply by its impact. There is a belief that the phrase is being used to separate ourselves in an egotistical way, which isn't 100% false. The phrase is to separate ourselves, but in a way that is empowering. It's to say "live your life black girl!! Unapologetically and gracefully. Be more than what is expected of you."
With the Black Lives Matter movement in full affect, it's clear to see how history and attitudes repeat themselves. Nothing ever seems to be worth the commotion.
