Miriam Makeba and Stokely Carmichael were two of the most significant figures in the global fight against racial injustice. Their journey to activism began in different parts of the world but converged in a shared commitment to Black liberation.
Their meeting and eventual marriage symbolised the intersection of African anti-colonial struggles and the Black Power movement in the United States. As partners in both activism and life, their journey brought them to Britain, where they influenced the growing Black Power movement and highlighted racial struggles that extended beyond the United States and South Africa. While their time in the UK is often overlooked, their impact on British anti-racist movements was profound.
Early Life and Career of Miriam Makeba
Miriam Makeba was born on 4 March 1932 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Growing up in a segregated society, she experienced firsthand the harsh realities of apartheid, which would later influence her music and activism. Her natural talent for singing was evident from a young age, and she began performing in school choirs before joining the renowned South African group, the Manhattan Brothers.
Her big break came in 1959 when she starred in Come Back, Africa, a covertly filmed anti-apartheid documentary that exposed the brutal conditions faced by Black South Africans. The film’s success led to an invitation to perform in Europe and the United States. However, after speaking out against apartheid at the United Nations in 1963, the South African government revoked her citizenship, forcing her into exile. This marked the beginning of her decades-long fight for racial justice through music and activism.
Miriam Makeba: The Voice of Africa in Exile
After being exiled from South Africa in 1963, Miriam Makeba became one of the most prominent voices against apartheid. Her music, infused with traditional African rhythms and themes of resistance, became a powerful tool for political activism. She used her international platform to raise awareness about the atrocities occurring in South Africa, addressing audiences at the United Nations and performing worldwide to spread her message of liberation and unity.
Her time in the UK was particularly significant as she played a crucial role in mobilising support for the global anti-apartheid movement. She performed to sold-out audiences, using her stage to advocate for freedom and human rights. British anti-apartheid groups saw her as an essential ally, and her presence reinforced the importance of cultural activism in political struggles.
Early Life and Activism of Stokely Carmichael
Stokely Carmichael was born on 29 June 1941 in Trinidad and Tobago and later emigrated to the United States with his family. He became politically active as a student at Howard University, joining the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), where he played a key role in voter registration drives in the Deep South. His shift from nonviolence to advocating for Black Power became a defining moment in the US civil rights movement.
Stokely Carmichael: Bringing Black Power to Britain
Stokely Carmichael, later known as Kwame Ture, was a key figure in the US civil rights movement and one of the most prominent leaders of the Black Power movement. As chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and later a leading voice in the Black Panther Party, he rejected the nonviolent approach of earlier civil rights campaigns, advocating for self-determination, racial pride, and direct resistance to oppression.
After facing relentless surveillance and pressure from US authorities, Carmichael left the United States in 1969, travelling with Makeba to Guinea, where they lived in exile. However, before settling in Africa, the couple spent significant time in the UK, where Carmichael delivered speeches that had a lasting impact on Britain’s Black activists. His visit in 1967, before his official exile, marked a pivotal moment for Black British radicalism.
The Influence on Black British Activism
Carmichael’s speeches in Britain resonated deeply with young Black activists who had been organising against racism and police brutality in the UK. His message of Black self-determination inspired groups such as the British Black Panther Movement, which emerged in 1968 as a direct response to racism in British society.
His advocacy for Black unity and resistance influenced a generation of British activists who were fighting against discriminatory housing policies, workplace exclusions, and police violence. The British Black Panthers, founded by activists such as Altheia Jones-LeCointe and Darcus Howe, drew on Carmichael’s ideas, adopting a more militant stance against racism in Britain.
Meeting, Marriage, and Exile
Miriam Makeba and Stokely Carmichael met in the mid-1960s through their shared networks of activism. Their relationship deepened as they both fought against racial oppression on a global scale. They married in 1968, a union that was both deeply personal and politically significant.
However, their marriage had immediate consequences. Makeba, previously embraced by American audiences, saw her records pulled from U.S. radio stations and her concerts cancelled. Major promoters distanced themselves from her, significantly reducing her commercial success in the American music industry. The couple faced mounting political pressure, including surveillance and harassment from U.S. authorities.
In 1969, they relocated to Guinea, where they were welcomed by President Ahmed Sékou Touré, who supported their activism. In Guinea, they immersed themselves in Pan-African politics: Carmichael worked closely with Touré and Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah, advocating for African unity and socialist policies, while Makeba became Guinea’s delegate to the United Nations, continuing her international campaign against apartheid. Though Makeba remained a celebrated musician, her career was drastically altered by exile.
Challenges and Contradictions
While Makeba was widely celebrated for her music and activism, Carmichael’s radical views sparked controversy in Britain and beyond. His call for armed self-defence and a complete break from white-dominated systems alarmed British authorities, leading to surveillance and restrictions on his activities. The British press often portrayed him as a dangerous extremist, reflecting broader anxieties about the growing Black Power movement in the UK.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1977, four years after their divorce, Miriam Makeba and Stokely Carmichael were photographed together in Stockholm, Sweden. While no longer married, their shared commitment to global activism meant they remained connected through political networks. Makeba was still actively touring and advocating against apartheid, while Carmichael was continuing his Pan-Africanist work. Their presence in Sweden highlighted their lasting influence on international Black liberation movements.
Miriam Makeba and Stokely Carmichael spent their later years continuing their activism, though they eventually took different paths.
Miriam Makeba remained a global icon of African music and resistance. After divorcing Carmichael in the early 1970s, she continued to speak out against apartheid, using her platform to advocate for social justice. She performed worldwide, bringing attention to South Africa’s oppressive regime, and collaborated with artists like Paul Simon on his Graceland tour. In 1990, after nearly 30 years in exile, she returned to South Africa at Nelson Mandela’s request following his release from prison. She continued her advocacy for humanitarian causes and performed until her death on 9 November 2008, collapsing on stage after a concert in Italy due to a heart attack at the age of 76.
Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture), after settling in Guinea in 1969, dedicated himself to Pan-Africanism. He became an aide to President Ahmed Sékou Touré and developed a strong working relationship with Ghanaian leader Kwame Nkrumah. He worked to establish an All-African People’s Revolutionary Party, advocating for African unity, socialism, and self-determination. Over the years, he distanced himself from his earlier Black Power rhetoric in the U.S. and focused on building African solidarity.
Despite facing increasing health challenges, he remained a vocal critic of Western imperialism and capitalist exploitation, regularly delivering lectures and engaging in political debates. In the late 1990s, Carmichael was diagnosed with prostate cancer, which he believed was exacerbated by years of government surveillance and stress. He passed away on 15 November 1998 at the age of 57 in Conakry, Guinea, leaving behind a legacy of Black empowerment and Pan-Africanist ideology.
References
- Joseph, Peniel E. Stokely: A Life. Basic Books, 2014.
- Makeba, Miriam, and Nomsa Mwamuka. Makeba: My Story. Plume, 2004.
- Williams, Rhonda Y. Concrete Demands: The Search for Black Power in the 20th Century. Routledge, 2015.
- Bush, Roderick. We Are Not What We Seem: Black Nationalism and Class Struggle in the American Century. NYU Press, 1999.
- Barling, Kurt. Raging Against the Machine: Black British History from the Romans to the Present Day. Pluto Press, 2023.