"One of the tragedies of the struggle against racism is that up to now there has been no national organization which could speak to the growing militancy of young black people in the urban ghetto"

Stokely Carmichael addresses a profound limitation in the civil rights movement of his era, observing the absence of a unified, national entity that could authentically channel the passion and frustration of young Black people in American urban ghettos. At the time, the traditional civil rights organizations, such as the NAACP or even the early Southern Christian Leadership Conference, tended to be rooted in older leadership, often pursuing reforms through legal means, negotiation, and nonviolent protest. While these approaches achieved important milestones, Carmichael perceives that they were not fully responsive to the shifting mood and the lived realities of the younger Black generation experiencing direct oppression, police brutality, economic deprivation, and social alienation within city environments.

The term “growing militancy” points to a rising sense of urgency and willingness to engage in more confrontational or assertive tactics among young Black Americans. This was the generation witnessing persistent systemic racism, even after years of civil rights legislation and supposed progress. Their demands transcended basic legal equality, moving towards self-determination, pride, and a redefinition of Black identity. The lack of a national body to amplify their needs meant that their struggles were either marginalized or misrepresented; their energy was left fragmented, lacking coordination and leadership with which to direct meaningful change.

Carmichael’s observation is both a lament and a call to action. It exposes a disconnection within the struggle for racial justice, between an older leadership cautious in its approach and a new, restless force eager for radical transformation. The absence of representation for militant youth limited the movement's ability to adapt and respond to evolving challenges faced in America’s urban centers. Without such an organization, the revolutionary potential of young Black activists risked being suppressed, scattered, or co-opted, ultimately slowing the attainment of genuine liberation and empowerment for Black communities nationwide.