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Siyabonana: The Journal of Africana Studies, Volume 1, Number 2, Summer 2023
Copyright © The Author(s) 2023
Essay
Black Power and Black Identity in Los Angeles: Renaming
and Redefining Black Racial Identity Nationally and
Locally
M. Keith Claybrook, Jr., PhD
m.keith.claybrook@csulb.edu
Associate Professor of Africana Studies
Department of Africana Studies
California State University, Long Beach
Abstract
In the aftermath of the summer of 2020’s social unrest and the call for racial justice
after the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, among others, many
institutions around the country began to champion anti-racist, diversity, equity, and
inclusion rhetoric. The attention given to Black students and employees at these
institutions, however, has often reduced the broader concerns to a problem of
representation. Although representation matters, being Black is more than a matter of
representation. Understanding the ‘60s as a linchpin moment in the creation of a
Black racial identity reminds current Black activists, and their allies, that a Black racial
identity is about power, culture, and consciousness. This article examines the shift
from “Negro” to Black during the Black Freedom Movement exploring Black Power
advocates in California, in general, and Los Angeles, specifically. This article draws
upon oral histories and autobiographies with content analysis revealing that Black