“You don’t fight racism with racism; the best way to fight racism is with solidarity.” This is what Bobby Seale, co-founder of the Black Panther Party, stated about how he and Huey Newton’s organization handled oppression. The Black Panther Party was an African-American led organization formed in 1966 and reached popularity just a few days after. Its original purpose was to patrol Black neighborhoods and protect citizens from police brutality, but it later progressed into a Marxist group.
History & Origin:
Newton and Seale had met in 1962 while they were both students at Merrit College. They had joined an Afro-American Association where they had read, debated, and organized in a black nationalized tradition inspired by Malcolm X and others. However, due to the group’s failure to challenge police brutality, Newton and Seale took matters into their own hands. After the police had killed an unarmed black man, Matthew Jhonson, Newton had a realization that could differentiate from the multiple Black Power movements. After seeing the anger of the ghetto, he believed he could stand up to the police, thus creating the Black Panther Party.
Impact:
From late 1966 to early 1967, the Black Panthers would patrol the police of Oakland. This involved the tactic of using open-carry gun laws to protect members. This was done to record cases of police brutality by distantly following police cars around neighborhoods. When approached by an officer, members have stated laws proving their innocence, and they threatened to take any officer who violated their rights to court. Eventually, the patrols attracted more people, and the number of members grew.
Legacy:
Since its founding in 1966, the Black Panther Party has impacted many social movements regarding equal rights for African Americans, such as the Black Lives Matter movement. The Black Panther Party has also affected other social movements worldwide. Activists in Australian urban centers embodied the work of Black Panther Party members in their movements. Likewise, Dalits in India used the rhetoric of the Black Panthers for their social movement.
The Black Panther Party was a revolutionary group for African Americans. Created to protect citizens from police brutality, it evolved into a Marxist group that served many purposes such as the arming of all African Americans, and the release of Black prisoners. The Black Panther Party also played a major role in social justice today, inspiring many social movements, one being Black Lives Matter. If you ever see an injustice in your community, you should take action! Talk to principals, officials, and councils, to ensure you feel safe in your community.
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Black-Panther-Party
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Panther_Party#History
https://abcnews.go.com/US/photos/black-lives-matter-movement-photos-44402442
