Happy Black History Month! I would love to take you through a trip through time to meet one of our unappreciated superheroes: The Black Panther Party! Now I know when you see black and white, you think of history, which is sad and boring. This is in fact the opposite! If you haven't already, look through the pictures above and enjoy the gallery of the Black Panther Party. The field trip begins.
The Black Panther Party was a Black Power political organization founded by college students in October 1966 in Oakland, California. During the end of the civil rights movement, they joined to defend and fight for the rights of African Americans.
Their main task and practice was copwatching. Copwatching is monitoring the behavior of officers of the Oakland Police Department to challenge police brutality in the city. Dressed in black berets and leather jackets guards to protect themselves, the party enrolled many members and had influence in not just Oakland but New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle and Philadelphia.
We had the Party guarding us, Chicago, for 16 years. We experienced less police brutality by looking out for one another from 1966 until 1982, when the Black Panther Party was active. Was? Right, stick with me.
We had the Party guarding us, Chicago, for 16 years. We experienced less police brutality by looking out for one another from 1966 until 1982, when the Black Panther Party was active. Was? Right, stick with me.
Now during this time, the average age of a Black Panther member was young--about the age of 20--and during the end of the 60s to the beginning of 80s, African Americans went through an uplifting movement of reclaiming their blackness. De-colonizing themselves, if you will, by embracing their afros, protective hairstyles, music, style, and creating new unique names from the white catering ones.
This Party also put into place the Free Breakfast for Children Programs to address food injustice, and community health clinics for education and treatment of diseases including sickle cell anemia, tuberculosis and later HIV/AIDS.
All these great developments also led to white people feeling threatened. For the same reason they burned down Black Wall Street, an extremely rich self-built black community, they attacked the Black Panthers.
Influenced a bit by Malcom X, who died a year before the founding, the members understood how they were seen and what they would have to do to help their people in a world built against them.
All these great developments also led to white people feeling threatened. For the same reason they burned down Black Wall Street, an extremely rich self-built black community, they attacked the Black Panthers.
Influenced a bit by Malcom X, who died a year before the founding, the members understood how they were seen and what they would have to do to help their people in a world built against them.
Black Panther Party members were involved in many fatal firefights with police. A founder, Huey Newton declared:
“Malcolm, implacable(unstoppable) to the ultimate degree, held out to the Black masses ... liberation from the chains of the oppressor and the treacherous embrace of the endorsed [Black] spokesmen. Only with the gun were the black masses denied this victory. But they learned from Malcolm that with the gun, they can recapture their dreams and bring them into reality.”
Newton allegedly killed an officer, and Eldridge Cleaver (Minister of Information) led an ambush in 1968 of Oakland police officers, in which two officers were wounded and Panther Bobby Hutten (Treasurer) was killed.
Remember Tulsa, Oklahoma? The Black WallStreet? And how American turned a blind eye to thousands of its citizens dying because of violent biases and anger rooted in this country? Sadly, for the Black Panthers, history repeats itself.
“Malcolm, implacable(unstoppable) to the ultimate degree, held out to the Black masses ... liberation from the chains of the oppressor and the treacherous embrace of the endorsed [Black] spokesmen. Only with the gun were the black masses denied this victory. But they learned from Malcolm that with the gun, they can recapture their dreams and bring them into reality.”
Newton allegedly killed an officer, and Eldridge Cleaver (Minister of Information) led an ambush in 1968 of Oakland police officers, in which two officers were wounded and Panther Bobby Hutten (Treasurer) was killed.
Remember Tulsa, Oklahoma? The Black WallStreet? And how American turned a blind eye to thousands of its citizens dying because of violent biases and anger rooted in this country? Sadly, for the Black Panthers, history repeats itself.
As Malcolm X was assassinated in 1965 and Martin Luther King in 1968, with them being already listed on the United States blacklist...it wasn't a surprise when they were taken too soon by hatred. So when the FBI also got assigned to take down the Black Panthers, the party began to see its end. The FBI caused the party to suffer many internal conflicts, resulting in the murders of Alex Rackley and Batty Patter.
Ronald Reagan, a very pro-white President, created a bill with the goal of disarming members of the Black Panther Party who were lawfully conducting armed patrols in neighborhoods. That was the Mulford Act, and all cities who participated in the organization.
FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover even described the party as "the greatest threat to the internal security of the country."
Because they were defending themselves. Because these young folks saw that peaceful meetings and marches didn’t speak to White Americans and using violence, their oppressor’s language, they were able to be heard.
President Reagon created a program designed to slyly investigate Panther leadership, so it can be easier to assassinate and criminalize party members, which can make it easier to discard the organization altogether. This program was responsible for the assassination of Fred Hamption, and is accused of assassinating other Black Panther members, including Mark Clark.
Ronald Reagan, a very pro-white President, created a bill with the goal of disarming members of the Black Panther Party who were lawfully conducting armed patrols in neighborhoods. That was the Mulford Act, and all cities who participated in the organization.
FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover even described the party as "the greatest threat to the internal security of the country."
Because they were defending themselves. Because these young folks saw that peaceful meetings and marches didn’t speak to White Americans and using violence, their oppressor’s language, they were able to be heard.
President Reagon created a program designed to slyly investigate Panther leadership, so it can be easier to assassinate and criminalize party members, which can make it easier to discard the organization altogether. This program was responsible for the assassination of Fred Hamption, and is accused of assassinating other Black Panther members, including Mark Clark.
Chairwoman of Oakland, Elaine Brown
At first, the government’s killing spree and arrests helped boost the memberships and supporters among African Americans and the politically left (liberals). It grew in many cities and honestly, I can’t tell you why. Interesting time to band together and grow, but it did so.
The Black Panther Party membership reached its peak in 1970 with offices in 68 cities and thousands of members. But as the deaths, imprisonments, and escaping to other countries increased, so did the movement get weaker. Then numerous support for the party decreased further after reports of the group’s alleged criminal activities.
Chicago's Chairman of the Black Panther Party: Fred Hampton (standing)
The Chicago Chapter tried to remain active under intense police supervision with community programs, but even that died in 1874. Seattle lasted the longest, with a breakfast program and medical clinics still progressing even after the Party disbanded.
Huey Newton, Bobby Seale, and Elbert Howard (in order for pictures above), the founding college students, passed on the talk about challenging police brutality against the African American Community and America’s racist agenda. And as many have died, we need to continue telling their stories.
And we can’t pick it up and add to their work unless we know our history. We can’t add to King’s and Malcolm's unless we know other activists in our community. We have Elaine Brown, Fred Hampton, Eldrige Cleaver, Ericka Huggins, and more who need to be learned from.
And we can’t pick it up and add to their work unless we know our history. We can’t add to King’s and Malcolm's unless we know other activists in our community. We have Elaine Brown, Fred Hampton, Eldrige Cleaver, Ericka Huggins, and more who need to be learned from.
And well look at that. The well-reviewed Black Panther Party movie Judas and the Black Messiah was released February 12, 2021.
We got this.
Happy Black History Month!
We got this.
Happy Black History Month!
