Black Power as a political idea orginated in the student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) during the mid-1960's, when many SNCC workers came to believe that further progress depended on independent black political power. Widespread use of the term "Black Power" began in 1966 during a march through Mississippi, when SNCC activists asked marchers, "What do you want?" and led the responSe "Black Power!" The national media began to report on Black Power, and the movement drew condemnation from many whites. Leaders of several black organization also denounced Black Power. Opposition became stronger in 1968, when the Black Panther Party became the most prominent organization promoting Black Power. Although the Black Power movement largely disappeared after 1970, the idea remained a powerful one in the conscience of African Americans.
