Black Power at the Local Level

Abstract

Having been radicalized by their experiences both in Vietnam and back in the United States—and drawing on both a longer tradition of black radicalism as well as the more recent example of the BPP—the ABLF set about establishing itself in the Birmingham area. An exploration of the ABLF’s activities—both successful and unsuccessful— highlights the concerns that animated it members and, by extension, other African Americans who were drawn to black power. By understanding the specific issues to which the ABLF sought to apply concepts and strategies associated with black power, we can better comprehend its appeal for African Americans who were driven, first and foremost, by the problems that they encountered in their communities every day. What emerges from the ABLF’s efforts in and around Birmingham is an appreciation for the ways in which black power—like “civil rights”—was part of a longer freedom struggle built out of the specific experiences of African Americans at the local level.