Black Power: The Politics of Liberation

Black Power: The Politics of Liberation is a 1967 book co-authored by Kwame Ture (formerly known as Stokely Carmichael) and political scientist Charles V. Hamilton. The work defines Black Power, presents insights into the roots of racism in the United States and means of reforming the traditional political process for the future. Published originally as Black Power: The Politics of Liberation in America, the book has become a staple work produced during the Civil Rights Movement and Black Power movement.

One of the main focuses of the book is describing the struggles that black communities faced with trying to get involved in politics. During the 1950s black people still faced severe discrimination as well as segregation, and because of this, they faced problems with being able to vote and have a bigger role in the political world. These issues led to the creation of certain groups and organizations, like the Baptist ministerial alliances, but with the power that these organization held, they were still afraid to enter the public political arena for the black community. Ture and Hamilton continue to write about the ways that black communities' attempts to be active in politics, continually challenged with overcoming the white power structure that in place.

The book also focuses on understanding the larger context of the movement in modern society. Ture and Hamilton write that Black Power meant more than simply changing the physical, material conditions of inequality faced by black Americans; it also meant changing perspectives of race relations in a historical context.