Moreover, the cultural nationalists battled for the minds of Black people to get them to respond positively to the reality of revolution. Cultural nationalism could take many forms, from adopting West African religious practices, to writing poetry with a particular rhythmic structure, to changing one's personal style. Cultural nationalists, in essence, hope to create a total way of living that will empower the African American community. Karenga writes, "for we begin to build on traditional foundation, but it is out of movement, that is experience, that we complete our creation".
The idea of a Black Aesthetic as a central component of economic, political and cultural empowerment came about in the 1960s as the Black Arts Movement came into fruition. The Black Aesthetic perceives the world through the unique experiences of a militant and conscious African-American. It is a way of perceiving form as more than simply aesthetic beauty. It is also a set of criteria to judge whether a particular work or art is truly 'black'. In his essay "Towards a Black Aesthetic", Hoyt Fuller writes, "the young writers of the Black ghetto have set out in search of a Black Aesthetic, a system of isolating and evaluating the artistic works of black people which reflect the special character and imperatives of Black experience". According to Fuller, the Black Aesthetic is the realization that after hundreds of years of being told they are not beautiful, Black Americans have stood up to realize and reclaim their beauty. Furthermore, this affirmation should be expressed in one's art . "It goes further than any afro or dashiki, further still than any hip lingo or mystique" -Larry Neal "The Black Arts Movement". The Black Aesthetic links the past generations of Black art (Harlem Reinassiance) to the "sixties" era to future generations. It is also a decision to create a revolution for the people through art.