Black Nationalism has been in the United States of America for many years, but was only really acknowledged in the mid- 60s through the late- 70s. Black Nationalism started with abolitionists in the 1700s during slavery time. People such as Frederick Douglas, Nat Turner, W.E.B Dubois, and Harriet Tubman made it possible for the blacks to be let out of slavery.

These were the first black nationalists who fought for our needs and only our needs. Black Nationalists are members of militant groups that believe in self-government amongst blacks. Black Nationalistic parties such as the Black Panthers who were a party that was set up for black people to gain a better way in society. The Panther party had sects set up all over the U.S that worked for basically the same things.

A man named Geronimo Pratt who was the president of the Los Angeles sector of the Black Panther was accused of shooting a white couple in Santa Monica in 1972. He believes that the Panthers framed him. That goes to show that although you are fighting for the same cause it does not mean every one is on your side.

Many people like M.L.K were a form of nationalist because they were down for the people's rights. The Nation of Islam's black Muslims also believed strongly in the struggle of the blacks. Malcolm X , a strong Muslim leader, thought that you should fight back violence with violence. He felt that white people have oppressed us for so long and we have put up with it for too long. These people have shaped the lives of blacks all over the United States, and remain proud of the work they have done.

M.L..K. was a man who believed that non-violence was the key, which put him at conflict with such groups as the black panthers and Malcolm X who believed in fighting back with fists and not their minds. Panthers are one of the most well-known nationalistic groups through out the Americas because they were the most vocal and active in society.

Today the party has dwindled and diminished to nothing, but its leaders are still going strong. Young people feel very proud to be living in a world pretty much free of most racial stress and all of the problems that come with it. The young folks at Penn State and Temple University would much rather be thought of as Afro-centric that nationalistic because they have known nationalism all of their lives.

What is not understood is that the American white is born to salute and be nationalistic to one's country from the day they are born, but for a black person to be true to their beliefs they are thought of as plotting against the people of the United States. To some white people the thought of a black person running the country literally made them sick, and the more that we protested to be a part of this country the more lynchings happened, the more tear gas was used, the more dogs were put out, and the more blacks were put in jail or killed. Then leaders such as Malcolm X and Bobby Seal and Geronimo Pratt and Huey P. Newton thought we cannot take this stuff any more. They said come on let us fight this and the black Muslims said we could be as good as the white man they play us up to.

The Panthers said let's beat the system and make our own black government where blacks rule the world.

I close this report saying that although there are many, many people who will not agree with me, black nationalists helped us as a people prosper. Because of black nationalists, the whites let go almost completely of the ideas that all blacks were ignorant and had no idea of what was right or wrong. They realized that an educated Negro, as they would say, was much more dangerous than the stupid ones. They realized that black power was something more than just saying we want to be free and getting it; it's fighting for the struggle.