Video excerpt of Stokely Carmichael
Video
Image
Video
Audio
Activities
LOOK
Watch the video excerpt of Stokely Carmichael’s speech, in which he asks, “Why us?” What made him ask that question? What countries did he mention? Why were they mentioned?
THINK
Stokely Carmichael wanted people to know that people of African descent were taken from their homelands and scattered around the world. Who was Carmichael referring to when he asked the question “Why us?” How did his emotions come across in the video? What feelings and/or emotions were expressed?
DO
Have students use the Internet to locate and label a world map with the countries mentioned in Carmichael’s speech.
Details
Date 2023
Materials - Film
Historical Context
Choose one of the three levels below to match your needs.
- In this video, Stokely Carmichael, also known as Kwame Ture, asks, “Why us?” – an eye-opening question for those listening to his speech.
- The Congress of Black Writers took place at McGill University in Montréal in 1968.
- The event happened six months after the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose death affected the entire world.
- The Canadian government and some citizens were uncomfortable with the media coverage of the Congress of Black Writers.
- African Americans, African Canadians, and Caribbean people felt a sense of a shared lived experience, which was a defining moment in Black consciousness and in the empowerment of Black people worldwide.
- This event was an important moment in the history of civil rights in Canada.
In this video, Stokely Carmichael, also known as Kwame Ture, speaks about the need for people of African descent to know their history and to create a path for themselves in an unjust society.
During his speech at the Congress of Black Writers in 1968, he asked the question “Why?” Why did the people of Africa need to be scattered around the world? His “Why us?” speech was a defining moment in Black consciousness.
Carmichael’s speech at the Congress of Black Writers, held at McGill University in Montréal, empowered its audience with hope, direction and unity. This event gathered influential leaders and writers of the liberation, Black nationalist, and Black Power movements. It contributed to a feeling of shared consciousness and experience among African Americans, African Canadians, and those from the Caribbean.
Even though the event sparked empathy, media reports on the congress made the Canadian government and some Canadians uncomfortable.
This event happened six months after the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a leader of the civil rights movement whose death affected the entire world. This event was one of the important moments in the history of civil rights in Canada.
In this video excerpt, Stokely Carmichael, also known as Kwame Ture, speaks about the need for people of African descent to know their history and to create a path for themselves in an unjust society.
The international Congress of Black Writers, held at McGill University in Montréal in 1968, gathered influential leaders and writers tied to the liberation, Black nationalist, and Black Power movements.
The event happened six months after the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose death affected the entire world.
The words “Why us?” spoken by Stokely Carmichael, one of the main speakers at the Congress of Black Writers, questioned why people of Africa were taken from their homelands and scattered in unfamiliar lands.
He promoted self-knowledge and self-love as a starting point and connected the struggle to the decolonization of African people worldwide. His message resonated with the congress participants, and expressed the need to gain power through political and economic means to ensure progress. This frightened the Canadian government, and media reports made some Canadians uncomfortable.
Civil rights protests and sit-ins were methods used to address social injustices. “Why us?” captivated participants and the media, causing a frenzy. Canadians were forced to recognize that racism existed in Canada. It was embedded in the very fabric of the nation.
When Stokely Carmichael asked, “Why us?” he created a collective consciousness. African Americans, African Canadians, and people from the Caribbean felt a shared experience. Though they were scattered worldwide, they experienced the same plight. Carmichael felt that it was important for people of African descent to be proud of who they were and to fight against oppression from those in power. The Congress of Black Writers was a pivotal part of Canada’s civil rights movement.
- In this video, Stokely Carmichael, also known as Kwame Ture, asks, “Why us?” – an eye-opening question for those listening to his speech.
- The Congress of Black Writers took place at McGill University in Montréal in 1968.
- The event happened six months after the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose death affected the entire world.
- The Canadian government and some citizens were uncomfortable with the media coverage of the Congress of Black Writers.
- African Americans, African Canadians, and Caribbean people felt a sense of a shared lived experience, which was a defining moment in Black consciousness and in the empowerment of Black people worldwide.
- This event was an important moment in the history of civil rights in Canada.
In this video, Stokely Carmichael, also known as Kwame Ture, speaks about the need for people of African descent to know their history and to create a path for themselves in an unjust society.
During his speech at the Congress of Black Writers in 1968, he asked the question “Why?” Why did the people of Africa need to be scattered around the world? His “Why us?” speech was a defining moment in Black consciousness.
Carmichael’s speech at the Congress of Black Writers, held at McGill University in Montréal, empowered its audience with hope, direction and unity. This event gathered influential leaders and writers of the liberation, Black nationalist, and Black Power movements. It contributed to a feeling of shared consciousness and experience among African Americans, African Canadians, and those from the Caribbean.
Even though the event sparked empathy, media reports on the congress made the Canadian government and some Canadians uncomfortable.
This event happened six months after the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a leader of the civil rights movement whose death affected the entire world. This event was one of the important moments in the history of civil rights in Canada.
In this video excerpt, Stokely Carmichael, also known as Kwame Ture, speaks about the need for people of African descent to know their history and to create a path for themselves in an unjust society.
The international Congress of Black Writers, held at McGill University in Montréal in 1968, gathered influential leaders and writers tied to the liberation, Black nationalist, and Black Power movements.
The event happened six months after the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose death affected the entire world.
The words “Why us?” spoken by Stokely Carmichael, one of the main speakers at the Congress of Black Writers, questioned why people of Africa were taken from their homelands and scattered in unfamiliar lands.
He promoted self-knowledge and self-love as a starting point and connected the struggle to the decolonization of African people worldwide. His message resonated with the congress participants, and expressed the need to gain power through political and economic means to ensure progress. This frightened the Canadian government, and media reports made some Canadians uncomfortable.
Civil rights protests and sit-ins were methods used to address social injustices. “Why us?” captivated participants and the media, causing a frenzy. Canadians were forced to recognize that racism existed in Canada. It was embedded in the very fabric of the nation.
When Stokely Carmichael asked, “Why us?” he created a collective consciousness. African Americans, African Canadians, and people from the Caribbean felt a shared experience. Though they were scattered worldwide, they experienced the same plight. Carmichael felt that it was important for people of African descent to be proud of who they were and to fight against oppression from those in power. The Congress of Black Writers was a pivotal part of Canada’s civil rights movement.
Summary
- In this video, Stokely Carmichael, also known as Kwame Ture, asks, “Why us?” – an eye-opening question for those listening to his speech.
- The Congress of Black Writers took place at McGill University in Montréal in 1968.
- The event happened six months after the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose death affected the entire world.
- The Canadian government and some citizens were uncomfortable with the media coverage of the Congress of Black Writers.
- African Americans, African Canadians, and Caribbean people felt a sense of a shared lived experience, which was a defining moment in Black consciousness and in the empowerment of Black people worldwide.
- This event was an important moment in the history of civil rights in Canada.
Essential
In this video, Stokely Carmichael, also known as Kwame Ture, speaks about the need for people of African descent to know their history and to create a path for themselves in an unjust society.
During his speech at the Congress of Black Writers in 1968, he asked the question “Why?” Why did the people of Africa need to be scattered around the world? His “Why us?” speech was a defining moment in Black consciousness.
Carmichael’s speech at the Congress of Black Writers, held at McGill University in Montréal, empowered its audience with hope, direction and unity. This event gathered influential leaders and writers of the liberation, Black nationalist, and Black Power movements. It contributed to a feeling of shared consciousness and experience among African Americans, African Canadians, and those from the Caribbean.
Even though the event sparked empathy, media reports on the congress made the Canadian government and some Canadians uncomfortable.
This event happened six months after the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a leader of the civil rights movement whose death affected the entire world. This event was one of the important moments in the history of civil rights in Canada.
In-Depth
In this video excerpt, Stokely Carmichael, also known as Kwame Ture, speaks about the need for people of African descent to know their history and to create a path for themselves in an unjust society.
The international Congress of Black Writers, held at McGill University in Montréal in 1968, gathered influential leaders and writers tied to the liberation, Black nationalist, and Black Power movements.
The event happened six months after the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose death affected the entire world.
The words “Why us?” spoken by Stokely Carmichael, one of the main speakers at the Congress of Black Writers, questioned why people of Africa were taken from their homelands and scattered in unfamiliar lands.
He promoted self-knowledge and self-love as a starting point and connected the struggle to the decolonization of African people worldwide. His message resonated with the congress participants, and expressed the need to gain power through political and economic means to ensure progress. This frightened the Canadian government, and media reports made some Canadians uncomfortable.
Civil rights protests and sit-ins were methods used to address social injustices. “Why us?” captivated participants and the media, causing a frenzy. Canadians were forced to recognize that racism existed in Canada. It was embedded in the very fabric of the nation.
When Stokely Carmichael asked, “Why us?” he created a collective consciousness. African Americans, African Canadians, and people from the Caribbean felt a shared experience. Though they were scattered worldwide, they experienced the same plight. Carmichael felt that it was important for people of African descent to be proud of who they were and to fight against oppression from those in power. The Congress of Black Writers was a pivotal part of Canada’s civil rights movement.