A brief history of the Black Panther Party

In October 1966, in the aftermath of the assassinationfreedom to determine the destiny of the Black
of black leader Malcolm X and on the verge of acommunity, (2) full employment for the Black people,
massive urban uprising of the Black community, Huey(3) descent housing for the Black people, (4) education
P. Newton, Bobby Seale and David Hilliard manifestedfor the Black people, (5) exemption from military
the creation of the Black Panther Party, at Oakland,service for the Black people, (6) putting an end to the
California. The Party was initially named Black Pantherrobbery of the Black Community by White capitalists,
Party for Self Defence and it used the image of a(7) putting an end to police brutality against the Black
black panther as a symbol of power. The term Selfpeople, (8) freedom for all Black people held in prisons
Defence was used in order to differentiate the Party'sand jails, (9) fair trials for Black people by judges from
philosophy from the dominant diplomatic theme of thethe Black Community and (10) land, bread, clothing,
civil rights movement, but also to pay respect to thejustice and peace for Black people.
civil rights group Deacons of Defence at Louisiana.In the early 1970s, Black Panther Party lost momentum
Over time, the name became the Black Panther Party.mainly due to internal disputes and violent clashes with
Reflecting the despair of African Americans in thepolice. In such turbulent conditions, Huey P. Newton
changing urban culture of the United States and thebecame disillusioned and heavily addicted to drugs, lost
civil rights movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,his self-confidence and refused to rule the Party
Black Panther Party was a progressive politicalfurther. At the same time, Bobby Seale resigned from
organization that rose in the front line of the powerfulthe Party leaving his place to Elaine Brown in order to
movements for social change in America since thecontinue the Panther community programs.
Revolution of 1776 and the Civil War. Being the soleIn the early 1980s, Black Panther Party falls apart
black organization in the history of black resistancecompletely due to external attacks and internal
against poverty, criminality, police brutality,degradation and divisions. Without appropriate
unemployment, slavery and oppression in the Unitedleadership and being constantly terrorized by the police,
States, Black Panther Party represented the massivethe members of the party abandoned their idealism
struggle of black people for equality, justice andand philosophy and ran to save their lives. Those
freedom.members that remained in the Party were brutally
Black Panther Party was one of the first organizationshunted down and killed in the following years,
in U.S. history to militantly oppose to Black Communityimprisoned on tricked charges or forced to take off
being an ethnic minority. Fighting for the liberation of thefrom the United States.
working class, the Black Panther Party focused on theDespite the collapse, Black Panther Party was
ground-breaking institution of, social, political andconsidered by the FBI as the greatest threat to the
economic equality across gender and colour lines.internal security of the United States. This maybe
The philosophy of Black Panthers Party wasexplains the fact that, there has been an effort to
extremely radical. Combining militant nationalism withcontinue the Party’s philosophy by the early 1990s
Marxism and advocating the empowerment andwith a new generation of militant activists. Regardless
self-defence of the Black community, often throughof the Black Panther Party downfall, it is still considered
confrontation, Black Panther Party had recruited 5,000as one of the most challenging and controversial parts
members by 1969 in 20 states around the U.S. Theof the American history.
Party introduced a ten-points program asking for (1)