Initially committed to nonviolence, SNCC began grappling with the limits of nonviolent resistance in the face of escalating violence against Black communities.
 

The debate over tactics grew, with some members, influenced by Malcolm X and others, pushing for a shift toward Black Power—a more radical and assertive approach to Black liberation.

In 1966, Stokely Carmichael became the chairman of SNCC and introduced the term “Black Power”, signaling a shift in focus toward Black autonomy, self-defense, and empowerment.
 

Carmichael’s philosophy, while controversial, marked a major turning point for SNCC and the Civil Rights Movement, inspiring other Black liberation movements and organizations.

The internal tension between nonviolence and Black Power ultimately led to a fracturing within SNCC, but it also laid the groundwork for a more radical phase in the movement for Black rights.