Berkley Center

In this article in CrossCurrents, Terrence Johnson explores the historical tensions between three different traditions among black leaders, activists, and intellectuals: the black liberal tradition, represented during the Civil Rights Era by Martin Luther King, Jr.; the black power movement, initiated by Stokely Carmichael and the leaders of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee; and the American jeremiad, a long-standing tradition within the black church. Johnson further explores how Barack Obama positioned himself with respect to all three of these traditions and how he was able to effectively use elements of each.