The Black Panther Party

"The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense knew what they wanted. They were young. They were black. They couldn't be ignored. Their ten-point platform was just the beginning of an unforgettable period in the history of this nation's civil rights movement. By 1967 the Black Panthers had established themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Their ideas, their agenda, their fight for equality for African Americans, put these outspoken youth on the map of American politics." (Haskins) Almost 40 years ago, in 1966, Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale led a revolution that was driven in response to the oppression of black people. They sought to change that. Today, thanks to their fight for civil rights, extreme risks, and development of social needs, people around the world can enjoy some of their modifications, such as free breakfast programs. The formation and movements of the Black Panther Party were directed by the F.B.I, who sought to bring every party member down; as well as their radical alliances, such as The Resistance, (which kindled the rebirth of the party during hard times), and the brave women who joined the party, such as Afeni Shakur, stood up for their rights in a time in which Americas looked down on women as less than equals helped their cause.

The original Black Panther Party had six members, and grew to thousands all over the world. "The Black Panther Party climbed center stage on the world scene searing Americans race relations with its bold, in-your-face stance."(Haskins). They developed a 10-point program that all members had to abide by. Their ten-point program covered their plan for an economic black reform. These ten points included:

1. We want freedom. We want power to determine the destiny of our black and oppressed communities.

2. We want full employment of our people.

3. We want an end to the robbery by the capitalists of our black and oppressed communities.

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 and our role in the present day society.

6. We want completely free health care for all black and oppressed people.

7. We want an immediate end to police brutality and murder of black people, other people of color, all oppressed people inside the United States.

8. We want an immediate end to all wars of aggression.

9. We want freedom for all black and oppressed people now held in the U.S federal state, county, city, military prisons and jails. We want trials by a jury of peers for all persons charged with so-called crimes under the laws of this country.

10. We want land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice, peace and peoples community control of modern technology. (BPP.org)

"On the streets, the Black Panther Party developed a series of social programs, which provided services to needy blacks and poor people. The first program was called the Free Breakfast Program for Children" (BPP.org), which allowed all children to receive free breakfast every morning. This program spread to every major city in America. But, even these great things wouldn't achieve the main goal of the party; they needed something to put them on the map; they needed the police.

FBI directors did not see the Panthers as a threat at first, but in the party's prime they became known as "the greatest threat to the internal security of the country,"(F.B.I director). "Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale's insistence that they be allowed to patrol black neighborhoods with firearms immediately involved them in violent confrontations with the police." (Conlin). The F.B.I soon began planning extreme measures to shut the Black Panther Party down, as well as all of its members. On June 5th James Meredith started a March Against Fear from Memphis to Jackson to protest against racism. After police shot him down, the revolution took a turning point. Blacks became more militant in their demands for equal rights. "In 1967 the F.B.I initiated a cover action program called COINTELPRO, to disrupt and "neutralize" organizations, which the bureau characterized as "Black Nationalists Groups"(Police opinion). The F.B.I became extremely afraid of the Panthers because of their main belief that they should be able to bear arms. In order to "save themselves." They had to shut down the movement. They even went to such severe actions as to pose fake letters to members of the party. One example is the following police letter to a prominent member of the Party, which talks about a conspiracy.

"Brother Jeff, I've spent some time with some Panther friends on the west side lately and I know what's been going on. The brothers that run the Panthers blame you for blocking their thing and there's supposed to be a hit out for you. I'm not a Panther, or a Ranger, just black. From what I see these Panthers are out for themselves not black people. I think you ought to know what they're up to, I know what I'd do if I was you. You might hear from me again.

(sgd.) A black brother you don't know. [Emphasis is added] (FBI files).

The F.B.I set up a list of goals that they wanted to accomplish in compliance with the party. These goals included:

* Prevent a coalition of militant Black Nationalist groups...

* Prevent the rise of a messiah who could unify and electrify the militant nationalist movement...(i.e.) Martin Luther King, Stokely Carmichael, and Elijah Muhammad all aspire to this position.

* Prevent violence on the part of Black Nationalist groups...

* Prevent militant Black Nationalist groups and leaders from gaining respectability by discrediting them...(i.e. Bobby Seale ran for Governor of Oakland, Ca. Police put him down in national newspapers to prevent him from getting votes.)

* Prevent the long-range growth of militant Black Nationalist organizations especially among youth. (Police files). (Police wanted to get to the source of where the new revolutions would begin by stopping youth from participating in the black movement.)

Another one of the FBI's main targets was Eldrigde Cleaver. While living in exile