▁gener ations . ▁Sto k ely ▁Car m ich ael ▁stated ▁that ▁" the ▁goal ▁of ▁black ▁self - det erm ination ▁and ▁black ▁self - identity — Black ▁Power — is ▁recognition ▁of ▁the ▁virt ues ▁in ▁themselves ▁as ▁black ▁people ." ▁Through ▁the ▁movement , ▁black s ▁came ▁to ▁understand ▁themselves ▁and ▁their ▁culture ▁by ▁expl oring ▁and ▁deb ating ▁the ▁question , ▁" who ▁are ▁we ?" ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁un ified ▁and ▁vi able ▁identity . ▁And ▁" if ▁black ▁people ▁are ▁to ▁know ▁themselves ▁as ▁a ▁v ibr ant , ▁val i ant ▁people , ▁they ▁must ▁know ▁their ▁roots ." ▁ ▁Through out ▁the ▁Civil ▁Rights ▁Mov ement ▁and ▁black ▁history , ▁there ▁has ▁been ▁t ension ▁between ▁those ▁wish ing ▁to ▁minim ize ▁and ▁maxim ize ▁ra cial ▁difference . ▁W . E . B . ▁Du ▁Bo is ▁and ▁Martin ▁Luther ▁King ▁Jr . ▁often ▁attempted ▁to ▁de emph as ize ▁race ▁in ▁their ▁quest ▁for ▁equality , ▁while ▁those ▁advoc ating ▁for ▁separ at ism ▁and ▁colon ization ▁emphas ized ▁an ▁extreme ▁and ▁irre con cil able ▁difference ▁between ▁races . ▁The ▁Black ▁Power ▁movement ▁largely ▁achieved ▁an ▁equilibrium ▁of ▁" bal anced ▁and ▁hum ane ▁eth noc entr ism ." ▁The ▁impact ▁of ▁the ▁Black ▁Power ▁movement ▁in ▁generating ▁discussion ▁about ▁eth nic ▁identity ▁and ▁black ▁conscious ness ▁supported ▁the ▁appearance ▁and ▁expansion ▁of ▁academic ▁fields ▁of ▁American ▁studies , ▁Black ▁Studies , ▁and ▁African ▁studies , ▁and ▁the ▁found ing