The Black Panthers

The Black Panthers [also known as] (The Black Panther Party for Self Defense) was a Black Nationalist organization in the United States that formed in the late 1960s and became nationally renowned. (Wikipedia:The Free Encyclopedia, 1997).

The Black Panther Party was founded in 1966 by party members Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale in the city of Oakland, California. The party was established to help further the movement for African American liberation, which was growing rapidly throughout the sixties because of the civil rights movement and the work of Malcolm X, and Dr. Martin Luther King. The Party disembodied itself from the non-violence stance of Dr. King and chose to organize around a platform for "self-defense", (which later became part of the party's original name). The party was established to help further the movement for African American liberation, which was growing rapidly throughout the sixties because of the civil rights movement and the work of Malcolm X, and Dr. Martin Luther King. The Party disembodied itself from the non-violence stance of Dr. King and chose to organize around a platform for "self-defense", (which later became part of the party's original name). As a Marxist-Leninist The Black Panther Party was founded in 1966 by party members The Black Panther Party was founded in 1966 by party members The party was established to help further the movement for African American liberation, which was growing rapidly throughout the sixties because of the civil rights movement and the work of Malcolm X, and Dr. Martin Luther King. The Party disembodied itself from the non-violence stance of Dr. King and chose to organize around a platform for "self-defense", (which later became part of the party's original name). As a Marxist-Leninist organization and worked with many white activist organizations(for example, California's Peace and Freedom Party). The Black Panthers name was derived from The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (or SNCC, pronounced "snick"), while working to register voters in Lowndes county, Alabama. Following the success of the Mississippi Freedom Party, organizers worked to create the Lowndes County Freedom Organization as an independent party. At the time, it was required that all organizational parties have visual emblem for [non-educated] voters. The SNCC contacted a designer in Atlanta for logo. The designer first choice was dove, but the workers of SNCC thought that it was too gentle, so the finally the designer suggested that the organization use the mascot of Clark Atlanta College, The Black Panther. Thus, the Freedom Party). The Black Panthers name was derived from The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (or SNCC, pronounced "snick"), while working to register voters in Lowndes county, Alabama. Following the success of the Mississippi Freedom Party, organizers worked to create the Lowndes County Freedom Organization as an independent party. At the time, it was required that all organizational parties have visual emblem for [non-educated] voters. The SNCC contacted a designer in Atlanta for logo. The designer first choice was dove, but the workers of SNCC thought that it was too gentle, so the finally the designer suggested that the organization use the mascot of Clark Atlanta College, The Black Panther. Thus, the Lowndes County Freedom Organization became The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, and soon the parties were founded all across the nation. Many of these parties were unconnected to the SNCC. On April 25, 1967, the first issue of The Black Panther, the party official news organ, [was distributed]. In the following month thereafter, the party launches a march on the California state capital fully armed, in protest of the state's attempt to band the possession of loaded weapons in public. Bobby Seale proceeded to read a statement of protest; while the authorities responded by arresting him and all thirty armed Panthers as well. This act of political recalcitrance only prompted minorities further into initiating new Panther chapters outside the state of California. (Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia, 1997).The Black Panthers based their agenda around a Ten Point Plan a document that was mainly used by the party, and its distribution played a major role in the party's method propaganda, education, and recruitment.

We hold these to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they

are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights: that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers

from the consent of the governed; that, whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence ,indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and, accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

But, when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. (Newton, 1980). In addition to party's foundation of the