From Black Power to Africana Studies
"In addition, I was listening to Malcolm X and began to pay attention to him. He was outspoken, courageous, well-read and a person of supreme dignity. For me and for a lot of young people who became activists in the Black Power movement, Malcolm X was a major articulator of what became Black Power later on."
It was only fitting that Hayes's interest in the African and African-American struggles intensified at college.
During the years that Hayes was an undergrad student, the Civil Rights movement in America took powerful hold over the nation as activists like Stokely Carmichael and James Meredith strove to reach out to Southern blacks who were tired of being physically and emotionally assaulted and beaten by whites.
"By 1966, Carmichael and Willie Ricks had articulated the concept of black power," Hayes said.
He described the pivotal March Across Mississippi event, directed by civil rights activists including Carmichael.
"At that event, Carmichael and Ricks began to chant to the crowd, 'What do we want?' and the answer was 'Black Power!'" Hayes said.
According to Hayes, that term caught on, and from the mid-'60s on, black people even began to reject the term "negro."
"[Negro] became a term of derision," Hayes said. "But black power meant self-determination for black people, an economy of self-sufficiency and an effort to solidify the black family . . . it meant a struggle for quality education and a battle for human dignity on the part of black people. The period of segregation and the fight for civil rights was severe. It was a moment to overcome."
Hayes himself became involved in the Black Power movement when he went to University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to work toward an Masters of Arts in African area studies in 1969.
Upon entering UCLA, he joined what later became the Black Student Union (BSU), although when he initially entered the group it was known as "Harambe," meaning "Let's work together" in Swahili.
It was only fitting that Hayes's interest in the African and African-American struggles intensified at college.
During the years that Hayes was an undergrad student, the Civil Rights movement in America took powerful hold over the nation as activists like Stokely Carmichael and James Meredith strove to reach out to Southern blacks who were tired of being physically and emotionally assaulted and beaten by whites.
"By 1966, Carmichael and Willie Ricks had articulated the concept of black power," Hayes said.
He described the pivotal March Across Mississippi event, directed by civil rights activists including Carmichael.
"At that event, Carmichael and Ricks began to chant to the crowd, 'What do we want?' and the answer was 'Black Power!'" Hayes said.
According to Hayes, that term caught on, and from the mid-'60s on, black people even began to reject the term "negro."
"[Negro] became a term of derision," Hayes said. "But black power meant self-determination for black people, an economy of self-sufficiency and an effort to solidify the black family . . . it meant a struggle for quality education and a battle for human dignity on the part of black people. The period of segregation and the fight for civil rights was severe. It was a moment to overcome."
Hayes himself became involved in the Black Power movement when he went to University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to work toward an Masters of Arts in African area studies in 1969.
Upon entering UCLA, he joined what later became the Black Student Union (BSU), although when he initially entered the group it was known as "Harambe," meaning "Let's work together" in Swahili.
Viewing Comments 1 - 7 of 7
Nana Akosua Akyaa
posted 12/08/08 @ 1:18 AM EST
There is a correction that needs to be made in the spelling of Dr. Nkrumah's name, the first President of Ghana.
The correct spelling of his name is: Dr. (Continued…)
sAnTa BaRbARA mOveRS
posted 1/07/09 @ 6:29 PM EST
great article, thank you i thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Class of '02
posted 1/29/09 @ 12:14 PM EST
This article is unintentionally hilarious. Professor Hayes is the definition of the angry, obsolete '60s radical. Is this what the "Africana Studies" department is about? The transparent advocacy of tired and outmoded leftist thought? The transformation of the BSU into a breeding ground for militants, instead of a social club? The promotion of a radical political agenda in the guise of "diversity" is a shameful misuse of time and tuition dollars. (Continued…)
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posted 3/29/09 @ 2:53 PM EST
I had a white male teacher who looked at me and pointed at me and said, 'You're a Negro, you have no history,'" Hayes said. "That was humiliating. But over the years that was quite angering because his attempt was to humiliate me, to tell me that black people had no history. (Continued…)
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posted 11/14/09 @ 10:56 AM EST
"...over the years that was quite angering because his attempt was to humiliate me, to tell me that black people had no history." This is outrageous and wrong, as a matter of fact the human race originates from Africa, so from an anthropological standpoint, that is so inaccurate. (Continued…)
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