Under the direction of Floyd B. McKissick (1922-1991), the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) moved more firmly into the Black Power movement, refusing to support Martin Luther King's call for massive nonviolent civil disobedience in northern cities, concentrating instead on programs aimed at increasing the political power and improving the economic position of African Americans. In 1967 the organization moved to eliminate the word "multiracial" from its constitution.

As head of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), Floyd B. McKissick helped to determine the direction of the Black Power movement during the turbulent 1960s. McKissick, who was national chairman of CORE from 1963 to 1966, and national director from 1966 to 1968, incited members of his organization into spearheading a nonviolent "revolution" that would widen civic, political, and economic opportunities for blacks; he also helped to popularize the "Black Power" slogan.

McKissick was the first black student admitted to the University of North...