The activist that initiated the idea of Black Power to describe a more radical approach to civil rights was Stokely Carmichael.
Stokely Carmichael considered the concept of Black Power as a form of solidarity among individuals within his political movement. With his conception and articulation of the word, he considered that his movement was not only a movement against racial segregation, but to combat the widespread racism among American society. Again and again he insisted: For the last time, "Black Power" means black people coming together to form a political force that elects representatives or forces its representatives to defend their interests.
Although the concept of Black Power was vague and interpreted differently by those who used it, from the businessmen who used it to push black capitalism to black revolutionaries who wanted to end capitalism, the idea of Black Power exerted a significant social influence. It helped organize self-help groups in the black community and the formation of institutions that did not depend on whites. It was used for the creation of black culture studies programs in institutes and universities, to mobilize black voters and to choose black candidates, as well as to foster pride and racial self-esteem.