Black Nationalist Tendencies and Their Association with Perceived Inefficacy of the Civil Rights Movement and of Black Elected Officials

Abstract

This study addressed whether black nationalist tendencies explain why some blacks in 1980 perceived that the civil rights movement and black elected officials failed to improve the black community’s standing, including their own life chances. Those holding positions consistent with black nationalism argue, among other things, that racial integration, political participation, and alignment with white interests could not ultimately produce racial parity. Instead, they support (cultural, social, economic, and political) separatism, constant vigilance, and community uplift as tactics for engineering racial parity. Using data from a nationally representative survey of the black population collected 35 years ago, the authors measured black nationalist tendencies using six indicators: (1) agreement that blacks should vote for black candidates, (2) agreement that blacks should shop in black-owned stores, (3) agreement that black men should not date white women, (4) support for forming a black political party, (5) the presence of black literature and/or art in respondents’ homes, and (6) a sense of common fate. The authors found that these indicators associated significantly with perceived inefficacy of the civil rights movement and of black elected officials. However, the associations’ directions and strength often varied appreciably. The authors call for future research that characterizes black nationalist tendencies and investigates their contemporary interpersonal and sociopolitical implications.