The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was
established in 1966, in Oakland, CA primarily by Huey Newton and
Bobby Seale. The BPP was a significant contributor to the Black
Liberation Movement; in 1970 it was considered as the third most
effective group in providing support and encouragement for a "support"
cause, behind the NAACP and the SCLC as well. The BPP believed
in universal freedom of the black race. Blacks were viewed as
suffering individuals within a racist society and needed to break
away and form their own alliance. This alliance further increased
the understanding and the popularity of "black nationalism."
The Black Panther party's platform was based on this idea of black
nationalism: "the nation can consist of the black people
who live in a particular country, as in the United States. [It]
can also be defined as a desire for a separate geographical nation
within a country, or as a feeling of community of other blacks
in the world-an extension of pan-Africanism" (Yohuru Williams).
Click here
to view the Black Panther Party's 1966 Platform and Program (In
other words, their goals).
The BPP had a mass following. This was an organization which called
for the liberation of all African people, and the membership to
the Party was restricted to blacks only. These principles were
based on socialist ideals (anti-capitalist). The cause of the
BPP was to "liberate" all blacks from their societal
restraints and consistent racism, especially in America. One beneficial
aspect of the Panthers is that they established numerous community
programs---in order to help the cause of black individuals throughout
the world. These programs benefited the underprivilaged families
struggling to survive in the racist American society. The BPP
also supported the womens' rights movement. Most black organizations
at the time were not supportive of the womens' desire to distance
themselves from the submissive, stay-at-home image which has been
established for centuries before. The Panthers widely voiced the
ideas of their cause through mass media techniques. They created
TV programs which explored the issued faced by black Americans
and and the ways that they dealt with the issues at hand.
The BPP was not only a strong force on the national front, but
also an inspiration on the international front. The BPP and BLM
emerged at a time of global revolution, where countries throughout
the world were experiencing the revolutionary ideas of freedom
and equality. "African American revolutionaries promised
to help their comrades overseas by occupying and destroying United
States imperialism at the source" (Yohuru Williams). However,
this influence brought about fear from foreign leaders that their
own countries were being influenced by these revolutionary and
violent ideas.
In 1970 the BPP formed an alliance with the SNCC (Student Nonviolent
Coordinating Committee). This alliance allowed the BPP to become
more widely known, and also gave the party the opportunity to
benefit from the reputation of SNCC. However, this reputation
was rapidly destroyed. The BPP has an unfortunate history of unnecessary
violence. "The panthers, who viewed the price of nonviolent
change in America as too steep and the pace too slow, harnessed
the strength, reckless enthusiasm and naivete of a band of revolutionaries
barely out of their teens in cities across the countries"
(Geronimo Ji Jaga). The Panthers viewed their violent messages
as the only effective means of achieving their goals of black
nationalism. There were individuals of all ages who were willing
to risk everything in order to fight for the rights of their people.
Some other shortcomings of the BPP include the fact that the government
program COINTELPRO, designed to stop the spread of black nationalism,
ultimately corrupted the BPP's leaders and founding fathers. This
started the downfall of the power of the movement. Also, the fact
that members of the BPP were very bold and extreme in their statements
and actions in the media and public light. And since they believed
in anti-capitalism, they were often looked upon poorly by individuals
and organizations within the smaller business community. Ultimately,
the Black Panther Party had very little success in directly bringing
about change in American politics and in American society. Although
they did bring a new radical vioce and awareness to the Black
Liberation Movement, they were often too extreme in both their
demands and in their actions.
Huey Newton (l) and co-founder Bobby Seale (r)
Geronimo Ji Jaga, formerly known as Geronimo
Pratt, was a black leader during the1960's, a major contributor
to the Black Liberation Movement, and more specifically, the Black
Panther Party. In 1997 Ji Jaga was released from prison after
27 years. In an interview with Essence, he discusses his
ideas, and experiences with the BPP. Here are some exerpts from
his interview with Pamela Johnson:
*"He still believes, for starters, that Black America can
break away from the United States and become a nation on its own.
And phrases like "power to the people" and "the
ballot or the bullet" flow freely from his lips."
*"as a result, you have a lot more brothers who are taking
a stronger stand. Like I refused a cellmate, because those conditions
were too dehumanizing."
*"every black man and woman in prison, is, in fact, a political
prisoner. Every one, bar none..everything is based on politics."
*"[the nature of freedom is in] within, and it can be flawless.
But the prerequisite is you have to detach from everything."
*"'in revolution, one wins or dies. To a revolutionary, death
is reality, but victory is a dream.'"
*"What is important to remember about the Black Panther Party
and other Black organizations that have fought for the right of
black people? That we were soldiers-some of us died for this country-and
we should be treatedwith the dignity that we deserve."
*"'in a society that imprisons unjustly, the only place for
a just man is in prison."
1. Acoli, Sundiata. "A Brief History of the Black Panther Party and Its Place in the Black Liberation Movement." CS Oberlin. 02 Apr. 1985. 09 Nov. 2000. <http://www.cs.oberlin.edu/students/pjaques/etext/acoli-hist-bpp.html>
2. Burroughs, Todd, McMillan, Seth, Vassell, Olive. "The Black Panthers." 1996. AFRO-Americ@. 14 Nov. 2000. <http://www.afroam.org/history/Panthers/panther-lead.html>.
3. Johnson, Pamela. "The Last Revolutionary." Essence. Nov. 1997. 10 Nov. 2000 <http://web6.infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/session/549/745/16089737w3/3!xrn_6_0_A19945626>.
4. Williams, Yohuru. "American exported Black nationalim: The Student Coordinating Committee, the Black Panther Party, and the Worldwide freedom struggle, 1967-1972." Negro History Bulletin. July-Sept. 1997: 13-21.
