Rise of the Black Power Movement in Oakland

In Living for the City, Donna Jean Murch explores the rise of an effective and popular black power movement in Oakland, California. For instance, in Chapter 4 she details how, in the words of the Wall Street Journal, black power won in transforming the curriculum and faculty at Merritt College, and in Chapter 5 she traces the emergence and rise of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, which, less than five years after its founding, blossomed into a national social and political movement. The repression the black power movement faced in educational institutions and especially on the streets of Oakland is also a measure of its significance.

With this in mind, these are the questions I would like you to address in your final paper: Why was the black power movement so successful in Oakland? What needs of the citys black community did it meet? In answering these questions, you may choose to focus on the successes of campus activism, the Black Panther Party, or both. To fully answer the questions, you will need to explore the history of Oaklands black community, and how past experiences shaped the communitys needs and its activism in the 1960s.

Your paper should be around 1000-1250 words (4-5 pages, double-spaced) in length and should contain all the elements of an academic paper, including an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement that expresses your answer to the question (including the “because” part); body paragraphs that present and analyze specific, cited evidence in support of your argument; smooth transitions that link one paragraph to the next; and a conclusion that reflects upon the significance of your argument. Support your argument with specific evidence from at least two of the chapters in Living for the City. Cite all quotes and specific information with a simple parenthetical citation, as in (Murch 60), at the end of the relevant sentence. You should have a work cited page so your paper has at least one full citation for Murch’s book. Please double-space your paper and use Times New Roman 12-point font.