ABSTRACT
History is often written in terms of the images people, or peoples, wish to project. American history, for example, was long recounted as if the English, Scottish, and Irish Protestants—and a few Dutchmen—were the only ones to have had an impact on the growth and development of the country. The motivation for the latest attempt at reexamining American history and giving the Blacks an honored place along with other "minorities" has come about as a consequence of the civil rights movement and the campaign to eliminate segregation. Western ways and Southern values were absorbed and, for good or ill, countless thousands of Black Africans became American Negroes. In response to mounting pressure, colleges and universities have introduced Afro-American programs and curricular innovations geared to the special needs of Black students. Black Power did begin as a movement of words, impassioned words exhorting poor sharecroppers to get out and exercise their franchise.
