American Militancy: The Black Panther Party effect
The Black Panther Party was arguably one of the most influential groups in the 1960's Civil Rights Movement.
In October 1966, Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale founded The Black Panther Party for Self-Defence in Oakland, California. The Panther Party armed their members and community members in direct response to violent attacks by Oakland PD and to police the police. Their plan was to self-police their own neighborhoods and break free from the tyranny of aggressive police tactics.
The act of policing themselves was considered radical because it was a break from the government run law enforcement agencies. Also, it was a wake up call to many politicians that black communities were no longer going to accept brutality as a social cost for living in a neighborhood.
(Bobby Seale and Huey Newton)
Quickly after their inception, The Panther Party caught the attention of J. Edgar Hoover and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Hoover coined Cointelpro, a counterintelligence program used to ascertain information and ultimately destroy the Black Panther Party.
It was through their distribution of Mao's Red Book and later their newspaper that the Panther's were able fund their actions and become an International organization. In May of 1967, Bobby Seale and 30 other armed Panthers stormed the California State Capitol in protest of then Gov. Reagan's attempts to repeal California open carry laws. Bobby Seale read a speech and the police promptly arrested the Panthers.
The Black Panther Party spread quickly across America with chapters popping up in cities like Milwaukee, Chicago, Dallas and Seattle. Along with the formation of new chapters, the Panthers joined forces with other groups like Stokely Carmichael's Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).
( Bobby Hutton and Bobby Seale lead the way into the California State Capital. Photo Credit - Wade Sharrer/Sacramento Bee )
During this period of growth, Fred Hampton became the leader of the Chicago chapter of the party. Hampton became active in "Black Power" politics as a teenager, heading up both the youth branch of the NAACP and working with the Chicago brand of the SNCC. Hampton at age 20 became one of the most influential member of the Panther Party. Fred Hampton was murdered during a raid conducted by the Cook County State's Attorney in the early morning hours of December 4th 1969.
( Fred Hampton. Source - UIC Library )
The effect that The Black Panther Party had on America is impossible to quantify. From the beginning of the party in Oakland, CA to the spread all across the States and even globally, "Panther ideology" has impacted many leftist movements. Groups such as the Black Liberation Army, the Brown Berets and many others have used "panther-esque" methods.
Even today we can see the lasting impact of The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. Everything from the Women Infant and Children program (WIC), to free breakfast programs in local school districts, and even groups that still bear their name.
( Members of the Revolutionary Black Panther Party during a "War Crimes Tribunal" hosted by the group in Milwaukee, WI. Source - WISN TV )
The world will be feeling " The Panther Party " effect for many years to come.
(Article by Jaimes Campbell)