July 20, 1967: The first national Black Power conference in Newark, NJ

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Floyd McKissick, podium, chairman of the Congress of Racial Equality, chooses his words carefully as he tells delegates to the National Conference for New Politics in Chicago, Sept. 1, 1967, that organization is the key to Black political power. (AP Photo/Paul Cannon)
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More than a thousand people from a wide array of community organizations convened in Newark, New Jersey on July 20, 1967, to discuss the most pressing issues facing Black people at the first national Black Power Conference.

It was one of the largest gatherings of Black leaders, with representatives of nearly 300 organizations and institutions from 126 cities in 26 states, Bermuda, and Nigeria.

The conference held workshops, presented papers for specific programs, and developed more than 80 resolutions calling for an emphasis on Black power in political, economic, and cultural affairs.

Only one resolution, a Black Power Manifesto, won official approval.

Nathan Wright Jr. was the conference chairman, and workshop coordinators included Ossie Davis, James Farmer, and Cleveland Sellers.

Click ▶️ to listen to the AURN News report from Clay Cane:

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