Alabama State University News August 29, 2016 Originator of ‘Black Power’ Slogan Speaks at National Center Symposium Civil rights activists and scholars spoke to a crowded room at ASU's National Center on Friday, Aug. 26 for a symposium exploring the origins of the Black Power Movement. *** The man who was credited with coining the phrase “Black Power” during the March Against Fear in 1966 in Mississippi was on ASU’s campus for a special event held Friday, Aug. 26. Willie Ricks, aka Mukasa Dada, joined other civil rights scholars and activists at ASU’s National Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African-American Culture for a symposium commemorating the 50th anniversary of the origin of the Black Power Movement, a period of history between 1966 and 1975. Ricks spoke to a crowded room, painting a vivid picture of the sit‐ins, marches, demonstrations and boycotts leading up to that day in Greenwood, Miss., when the Black Power Movement grew out of the Civil Rights Movement. He also described his life experiences as a series of beatings, bombings, shootings, fights and assassinations. “We fought for human rights, rights we had 500 years ago in Africa, rights we were born with,” Ricks said. He also talked about his time at Alabama State University and how he played a significant role in the Selma to Montgomery March in 1965, when he organized students to defy the state troopers who were under the command of then Gov. George Wallace. “The state troopers came on campus shooting,” Ricks said. “They put me in jail, in Kilby Prison.” Ricks said the call to Black Power created a spark of understanding, freedom and self‐identity. “Seeking your identity is freedom,” Ricks said. “Also, if you have resources, use it to benefit your people. Then you have Black Power. Everybody should have the same amount of food, the same amount of medicine. We should work together to make sure everybody has food, clothing, shelter.” At the end of Ricks’ fiery speech, fists were held high followed by loud chants of Black Power. Other panelists included Dr. Hassan Kwame Jeffries and Jeffrey Ogbar. Jeffries is professor of history at The Ohio State University and author of the book, “Bloody Lowndes: Civil Rights and Black Power in Alabama’s Black Belt.” He discussed the creation of the Lowndes County Freedom Organization (LCFO), an all‐black, independent, political party that was the original Black Panther Party. Jeffries also served as the symposium luncheon keynote speaker. Ogbar, a professor of history at the University of Connecticut and author of the book, “Black Power: Radical Politics and African‐American Identity,” discussed the ideological underpinnings of Black Power. The symposium also examined the role of Black Power at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). In a second panel discussion, retired ASU professors Dr. Alma Freeman and Dr. Frank Moorer joined Dr. Gwendolyn Patton, a former member of the National Association of Black Students, in a discussion of how the Black Power Movement reshaped the worldview and activism of students attending HBCUs. Several additional presenters discussed the Black Power Movement in Philadelphia, in the Caribbean and in popular scholarship. The daylong symposium rounded out with an afternoon session titled "Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud." This session featured cultural expressions of the Black Power Movement, including music, iconography, language and aesthetics. Mychel Scott, an ASU exchange student from California, said the program was filled with insightful information. “It’s a library of lessons of a most important period in the history of African‐American people,” said Scott. “I don’t agree with how the Civil Rights Movement was handled, but I do agree with how it furthered the African‐American cause. Alabama is rich in history, and I’m glad to come here.” The National Center for the Study of Civil Rights and African‐American Cultural at Alabama State University sponsored the symposium. The event reflects the National Center’s mission to research and teach the story of the modern civil rights crusade as it took place in Montgomery and other cities across the state and the nation. “This symposium marks the last major 50‐year event,” Dorothy Autrey, retired professor of history and former program chair, said. “The 50th Anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott was in 2005, the 50th Anniversary of the Sit‐In Movement was in 2010 and the 50th Anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery March was held in 2015.” SANDRA M. PHOENIX HBCU Library Alliance Executive Director Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW Atlanta, GA 30314 404-978-2118 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org/ sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. 7th Biennial Membership Meeting: Register here http://hbculibraries.org/2016meeting-form.html for the October 10,11 Membership Meeting in Atlanta Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/