Power movements in the 1960s and 1970s focused on who people were. Groups are organized because of shared identities like race, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation. "In the late 1960s and 1970s, Native Americans, gay men, lesbians, and women organized to change discriminatory laws and pursue government support for their interests, a strategy known as identity politics" (Khan Academy). Identity politics stands for social movements within a particular group of people. This focus on identity politics is key to understanding why rights and recognition were desired in the first place during this era.
Combining all the movements, Native Americans, the Chicano movement, the Disabled, the Black Panthers, and gay rights advocates, the main issue in the United States at the time was discrimination and inequality. Whether it was being wrongfully denied jobs, education, or respect, these groups were judged unfairly based on their identity. Because of these disparities, a shared goal of empowerment was established. These movements used protesting and organizing methods to achieve their goals. Occupying buildings like Alcatraz, participating in sit-ins, and forming groups like SDS, AIM, NOW, and the Black Panther Party were the main ways these groups sought to change laws, policies, and societal norms of inequality. The movements were faced with opposition; the FBI targeted the Black Panthers, and President Nixon vetoed the Rehabilitation Act.
Khan Academy. “Liberation Movements of the 1970s.” Khan Academy, 2019, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/postwarera/1970s-america/a/liberation-movements-1970s. Accessed 1 May 2025.