The Black Panthers

The Panthers articulate what the people in the ghettoes feel and, in so doing, enable all of us to gain insight into deep-set anger of so many of our deprived citizens as well as their determination to change these conditions. Julian Bond on the BPP At the time: Philadelphia October 29 1963 mass civil disturbance July 2 1964, Lyndon Johnson signs Civil Rights Act of 1964 (prohibits discrimination against any race, religion, color, or national origin) Harlem Riot of 1964 little over 5 days of rioting Los Angeles August 11-17 1965 6-7 days of rioting 35 dead, large number of injuries Property damage ($40 - $200 million) Origin: Founded: Oakland, CA on October 15, 1966 By Huey Newton and Bobby Seale Purpose: Provide land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice and peace. Desired freedom for blacks to determine their own destiny Recruitment: Appealed to inner city youth October 1966 BPP Platfotm and Program 1.We want freedom. We want power to determine the destiny of our Black Community. 2.We want full employment for our people. 3.We want an end to the robbery by the white man of our Black Community. 4.We want decent housing, fit for the shelter of human beings. 5.We want decent education for our people that exposes the true nature of this decadent American society. We want education that teaches us our true history and our role in the present-day society. 6.We want all black men to be exempt from military service.

7.We want an immediate end to police brutality and murder of black people. 8.We want freedom for all black men held in federal, state, county and city prisons and jails. 9.We want all black people when brought to trial to be tried in court by a jury of their own peer group or people from their black communities, as defined by the Constitution of the United States. 10.We want land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice, peace, and peoples community control of modern technology. Notables: Free Breakfast for School Children 1969 Free Health Clinics Liberation Schools & Community Political Education classes 1969 leaders commit to Marxist-Leninist principles The Black Panther Newspaper Suspicious Deaths investigated Call for action, Let Us Organize to Defend Ourselves Notification of upcoming events View On Police A Pig is an ill-natured beast who has no respect for law and order, a foul traducer whos usually found masquerading as a victim of an unprovoked attack. -The Black Panther, May, 1967 Atmosphere of the time P 19,
Philadelphia October 29 1963 black man attacks officer, officer shoots man and receives fatal wound, leads to civil disturbance with many African Americans involved July 2 1964, Lyndon Johnson signs Civil Rights Act of 1964 (prohibits discrimination against any race, religion, color, or national origin Harlem July 16 1964, a 15 year old African American boy is shot by a white police officer after he attacked the officer with a knife. 2 days later, 4,000 protestors marched on Harlems 28th precinct calling for immediate dismissal of the officer and of the police commissioner, met by a wall of tactical police

Tactical police charged and was met with violent resistance led to little over 5 days of rioting mass mayhem and destruction of public/private property, 6,00 police officers in all were deployed About 500 injured, 1 man killed, almost $1 million in property damage

L.A. 1965 Watts section August 11-17, racial tensions finally erupted over a struggle to arrest an African American man suspected to be driving a motorcycle under the influence - thousands took to the streets in a fighting, looting and burning rampage which ended with 35 dead, large number of injuries (sources vary from hundreds to over a thousand), Property damage (sources vary from $40 million to $200 million) 1966 periodic street fighting from New England to California African Americans against police fire officials

Origin
Location started, founding members o o o October 15, 1966 Oakland, CA Huey Newton and Bobby Seale

Purpose of group/reason it started o o Better the lives of African Americans across the U.S. especially inner cities Felt that the police were not doing their jobs, also discriminating and abusing the black community

Who are they targeting and why? o P 15 youths are acting out rebels Their defiant, aggressive, and ultimately self-destructive behavior is a way in which they reject the values, aspirations, and techniques of a society which they feel has rejected them. P 16 Newton opposed street activity that terrorized the black community but was not averse to hustling at expense of the establishment.

Rules

Goals

Huey Newton/ Bobby Seale

DOB cop hater Trouble with the law

10 points Between October 1 15 1966, Newton and Seale prepared the platform and program mostly Newton who divided them into What We Want and What We Believe. Rules were set down later and added to as more were required. As of 1970, 26 rules: range from no alcohol or drugs of any kind during party business, knowing how to operate a firearm; no crimes against other members or black people at all. 8 points of attention speak politely, pay fairly for what you buy, return everything you borrow, no swearing

Programs initiated by group Free Breakfast Program January 1969 at a small church in Oakland. Quickly spread throughout the US wherever the organization had a branch. Provided poor children with a decent meal with every nutrient that they need for the day. Free Health Care provided medical supplies, organized medical volunteers in black communities Liberation attempt to educate the masses to the need for a socialist solution for their problems

Shady stuff Newton wasnt the greatest guy in the world...before BPP he was a street thug: worked as a pimp, committed armed robberies, stole from ambulances - I felt that white people were criminals, explained Newton, because they plundered the world. . . . [T]o take what the white criminals called theirs gave me a feeling of real freedom. (justification) ...accused of a number of heinous crimes: murdering a prostitute (released due to lack of evidence) Believed to have killed a 17 year old prostitute after she called him by his nick name Baby, assaulted another man for same reason; fled to Cuba to avoid trial, returned two years later BPP members tried to kill key witness, wrong house, tried to cover up, Huey denies involvement. Decided not to try him again, was imprisoned for 2 years on a weapons charge

 NBPP

Embezzlement - more than $580,000 received from the state education department for youth programs

Bobby Seale claims theyve stolen our history and our name Absolutely no ties to old BPP February 21, 1965, Malcolm X was killed in Harlem's Audubon Ballroom by three gunmen with ties to NOI. As recently as 1993, Farrakhan tried to justify Malcolm X's assassination when he said in a speech, "Was Malcolm your traitor or ours? And if we dealt with [Malcolm] like a nation deals with a traitor, what the hell business is it of yours? A nation has to be able to deal with traitors and cutthroats and turncoats." 2008 elections, reports of voter intimidation in Philadelphia a couple of NBPP members stood outside a polling place in Philadelphia brandishing weapons Youtube clip shows them with a billy club. A voter intimidation case was brought up against the NBPP, however J. Christian Adams (lawyer bringing the case) was told to drop it resigned thereafter in protest.

Malcolm X:
Upbringing: Son of a Preacher follower of Marcus Garvey 1 of 8 children Father dies at young age, Mom takes over. Neglect? Pan-Africanism Marcus Garvey: Political leader, orator, entrepreneur, journalist and much more Strong proponent of Black Nationalism and Pan Africanism Pan Africanism: ideology and movement that is based on the belief that black unity is vital for economic, social and political progress Started the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities (Imperial) League (UNIA-

ACL) Youth: Successful in school Drops out at 15, lives with his sister in Boston Street life catches up to him, sentenced to 8-10 years Influences: Found Islam while in prison Celebrated his black history while rejecting white society and its values Life of abstinence Thought that the white race was brainwashing African Americans to be patient and docile. Civil Rights Movement: Also a gifted public speaker, was a proponent of self-determination and self defense for African Americans Preached anti-white rhetoric, separation of races Broke from Islam 1963 Formed the OAAU Assassinated on February 21, 1965 39 years old