Apartheid refers to a form of institutionalized segregation based on race. The term was first used to characterize the racial segregation of South Africa in the middle of the 20th century. "Apartheid" is an Afrikaans word that means “apartness.” The word is now used in a broader context to describe laws and policies that maintain legal segregation. hooks uses the term to describe the legal and social realities of the Jim Crow South.

The Black Power movement began in the 1960s and emphasized Black pride and the empowerment of Black people in the United States. The movement created a space for Black Americans who felt that the civil rights movement’s emphasis on nonviolent protest did not do enough to dismantle racial oppression. Malcolm X, a major figure of the Black Power movement, argued that Black Americans needed to develop their own economic and political authority, independent of assimilation into white culture. hooks criticizes the Black Power movement for expanding the influence of Black patriarchy.

The civil rights movement stretched from the 1950s to the 1960s, although many argue that this movement has not ended. The movement focused on challenging institutionalized racism by organizing nonviolent protests and legal actions.