Stokely Carmichael, later known as Kwame Ture, was a prominent American civil rights activist, leader of [[Black Nationalism]] in the 1960s, and a leading figure in the [[Black Power Movement]]. ### **Early Life and Education** Carmichael was born on June 29, 1941, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. He immigrated to the United States at age 11 and grew up in New York City. He attended the Bronx High School of Science and later, [[Howard University]] in Washington, D.C., where he earned a degree in philosophy. ### **Civil Rights Activism** During his time at Howard, Carmichael became active in the [[Civil Rights Movement]]. He was a member of the Nonviolent Action Group, the Howard campus affiliate of the [[Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)]]. Carmichael participated in the [[Freedom Rides]] in 1961, which challenged segregation at interstate bus terminals across the South. He was arrested multiple times for his activism. ### **Leadership in SNCC and "Black Power"** In 1966, Carmichael was elected head of SNCC, gradually steering the organization away from a philosophy of nonviolence towards more radical approaches to civil rights. That same year, after being arrested during a march in Mississippi, he gave a speech in which he used the phrase "Black Power" to express the idea of Black self-determination, economic power, and pride. The term struck a chord and quickly became the rallying cry for a new movement seeking to redefine Black identity and push for more radical changes than those advocated by mainstream civil rights organizations. ### **Black Panther Party and Move to Africa** In 1967, Carmichael stepped down as chairman of the SNCC and accepted an honorary position with the [[Black Panther Party]]. His alliance with the Panthers was brief, due in part to disagreements over ideology and strategy. Disenchanted with the progress of the Civil Rights Movement, Carmichael moved to West Africa in 1969 and changed his name to Kwame Ture in honor of African political leaders Kwame Nkrumah and Sekou Toure. He lived in Guinea for the rest of his life and continued to advocate for Pan-Africanism, the idea that people of African descent have common interests and should be unified. ### **Later Life and Legacy** Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Ture lectured and wrote on Pan-Africanism and socialism, often critiquing U.S. foreign policy and cultural imperialism. He continued to advocate for change up until his death from prostate cancer on November 15, 1998. Stokely Carmichael/Kwame Ture is remembered as a significant and controversial figure in the American Civil Rights Movement. His advocacy for Black Power and radical reform continues to influence discussions on race, identity, and systemic change. His life and work highlight the diversity of thought and strategy within the broader struggle for racial equality in the United States.