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By: Akon Angara
The Black Panther Party, was one of the first Black revolutionary groups to be founded in the United States. In fact, the ‘Judas and The Black Messiah’ film that came out earlier in the
year was based off of Fred Hampton and the BPP. As for the party itself, the long lasting
impact it left continues today, in more ways than you may imagine.
HISTORY OF THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY
The Black Panther Party was founded in 1966, in Oakland, California, by Huey P. Newton
and Bobby Seale. The party held an ideology of Black nationalism, socialism, and armed
self-defense, particularly against police brutality.
After the assassination of Malcom X, and police brutality against Black people rising, Huey
P. Newton and Bobby Seale decided to form an organisation to help defend Black
communities against police brutality, as well as help uplift the Black community in general.
The party activities first consisted of monitoring police activities in Black communities in
Oakland, as well as other cities. By watching officers arrest Black people, they ensured no
excessive and unnecessary force was being used during the arrest.
As more social programs and political involvement developed, the BPP began to grow in
popularity. It grew support all over the nation, from communities in places such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and other places. By 1968, the party had over 2,000 active members across the United States.
The membership reached a peak in 1970, with thousands of members and offices in 68 cities. However, it began to decline in the next decade or so, eventually leading to the party’s end.
THE FALL OF THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY
The BPP was involved in many controversies, as well as multiple violent encounters with the
police. In 1967, the co-founder, Huey P. Newtown, would be arrested after being charged
with manslaughter after he allegedly killed an Oakland police officer in a shootout. However, Huey would not be the only Black Panther who would be arrested, nor was it the only act of violence.
Eldrige Cleaver, who was an editor of the BPP newsletter, and Bobby Hutton, the party’s
treasurer, would both be arrested after being involved in a shootout that left two police
officers dead.
Many BPP members were arrested during this time, with many fleeing to other countries to
avoid charges. However, 19 black radicals, including two women, are still imprisoned, for over 40 or more years after they were arrested for violent acts related to the struggle for black liberation.
There was also much violence within the party. Alex Rackley, a BPP member, was beaten to
death by other members after being believed to be a police informant. Betty Van, bookkeeper of the BPP was found beaten and murdered. There was also said to be much misogyny within the party, and many BPP members believed that the leaders of the party had too much power over decisions that should involve the entire party’s decision.
The Black Panther Party was also seen as a threat. Its socialist and black nationalist focus
attracted attention, and made it a target for a secret FBI counterintelligence program named COINTELPRO. The FBI declared the Black Panther Party a communist organisation, and an enemy of the government. As a result, they worked to destroy the organisation, assassinating multiple members as well as having police informants and FBI agents pose as members, and even guards for leaders of the party.
With conflict inside the party, division, police informant and violence, the Black Panther
Party officially dissolved in 1982.
SOCIAL PROGRAMS
The Black Panther Party had many social programs aimed to help support the Black
community.
One of its most famous programs is the “Free Breakfast for Children Program”. It helped
combat food injustice within Black communities, helping support them by feeding children
before school. In fact, the breakfast in schools programs used today were taken from the
BPP!
They also set up community health clinics for education and treatment of diseases such as:
sickle cell, anemia, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS.
THE IMPACT OF THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY
The party’s impact continues today, as party’s all over the globe use the BPP as inspiration to create and ignite change of their own. Although the party struggled with sexism, infighting, and misogyny, what they’ve achieved in so little time is admirable.
We can use the BPP to build and make our social movements stronger. By learning from their wrong-doings and failure, we can help to not make the same mistakes again.
Its impact on modern day activism is one that cannot be denied. So many leaders and members of the Black Panther Party were young, the party was filled with teenagers and young adults, and yet they were ready to fight for what they believed was right. In the same way, so can we. There truly is no age to fight for what is right.
“The revolution has always been in the hands of the young. The young always inherit the
revolution.”
—— Huey P. Newton
SOURCES
https://time.com/5938058/black-panthers-activism/
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jul/30/black-panthers-prison-interviews-african-american-activism