15 Oct BLACK IN TIME: A Moment In Our History

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Bobby Seale And Huey Newton

On October 15, 1966, In Oakland California, Huey P. Newton And Bobby Seale Founded The Black Panther Party For Self Defense, A Revolutionary Political Movement, Drawing Support Largely From
Disenfranchised Youth Who Lived In Oakland's Most Impoverished

Areas.

Using What They Termed A 10-Point Program, Seale And Newton Outlined The Groups Demands For Ending Black Opression.

Seale Assumed The Role Of Chairman And Newton Served As
Minister Of Defense.



Originally, Their Platform Centered Around Uniting Urban Blacks To Protect Their Rights, Specifically To Protect Themselves Against Police Brutality.

The Early Panthers Wore Black Berets And Leather Jackets. They Used What Was Considered During That Period, "Radical Terminology," Like "Pigs," For The Police: "Fascists" For Established Figures And "Comrade" For Fellow Party Members.





The Militant, "Urban Warfare" Phase Of The Party Didn't Last Long. Party Leaders, Much Maligned And Harassed, Soon Shifted To A Less Radical Ideology. Subsequently, The Movement Was Converted From A "Race Struggle" To More Of A "Class Struggle."


While The Ultimate Demise Of The Black Panthers May Have Been Caused, In Part, By Internal Conflicts, There Is Also Significant Evidence That The Federal Government Aided In The Process.

Black Panther 10-Point Program


"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
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Last modified on Sunday, 02 October 2016 23:55