Black Power

In the Color of Water by James McBride, he talks about the concept of black power and how it defines him as a young child. McBride talks about black power in a way that has changed him. The fact that he uses the saying “black power” many times throughout the entire piece makes the concept even stronger and emphasizes just how impactful it is. McBride reminisces on watching cars, with names painted on the side, race through the streets. One that stood out to him in particular was a GTO with the words “Black Power” painted across the side. McBride’s reaction to this scene with the car is a main supporter of the fact that he is trying to make of black power being a strong concept. He says, “we thought he was God, But there was a part of me that feared black power very deeply for the obvious reason.” By McBride saying he thought that the man in the car was a god shows that McBride highly respected him. The juxtaposition of God and terrified is an interesting way to describe the man seen in the car. Usually people associate God with feeling comforted and safe but in this case, McBride describes himself to feel both terrified and amazed with the man in the car labeled “Black Power.” The scene creates a good understanding of what “black power” means. It shows how the phrase is something within itself. Power is the main focus of the concept along with respect.