The Black Panthers: Another Face of Freedom Fighting

If you were asked to think of people or events associated with the Civil Rights movement, chances are you'd think of Martin Luther King Jr., non-violent protesters attacked by police dogs, the Freedom Riders, sit-ins, or the march on Washington. Chances are, you probably would not think of young black men and women, wearing black jackets, black berets, and carrying shotguns. You probably wouldn't think of a packed auditorium of men and women of all ages, white and black alike, some wearing traditional West African clothing, and all cheering as a speaker likened the police to an occupational military force. You probably wouldn't think of a black activist, sitting in a jail cell, calling on white students to simultaneously denounce America's involvement in Vietnam as well as the deplorable condition of African Americans at home.

None of these images would likely be conjured up by the phrase "Civil Rights movement," and yet these people and these events were as much a part of Civil Rights and African American history as King's iconic "I Have a Dream" speech or the Little Rock Nine. So who were these people?

The Black Panther Party for Self Defense, or more simply, "the Black Panthers," was an organization founded by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seal, two young activists living in Oakland, California, in 1966. Inspired by the writings and works of Malcolm X, Ernesto "Che" Guevara, Franz Fanon, and Karl Marx, the Newton and Seal created an organization to address not merely the issues of racism and bigotry, but all systemic injustices facing both African Americans and oppressed peoples across the world. Rejecting Martin Luther King's strict doctrine of non-violence, the Newton and Seal asserted that only through arming the black community could they defeat racism. Police who had been terrorizing black communities, they argued, would not dare attack black men or women with the will and means to defend themselves against brutality.

Indeed, the Black Panthers' earliest activities included the "Policing of the Police," that is, having armed groups of men and women follow police patrols, ensuring that they did not abuse their power or use undue force in making an arrest. In the event that someone was arrested, the Panthers would follow the police to their stations and provide bail for the individual being taken in. Despite gaining notoriety for their high-profile "cop watching," the Panthers asserted that an integral element of defending the black community was through organization, creation of mass consciousness, and education.

The Panthers provided their communities with a wide range of services, including free clinics, free giveaways of groceries and shoes, education programs, transportation for the elderly, prisoner support, and provision of legal aid -- though perhaps their most notable achievement was their "Free Breakfast for Children Program." Beginning as a small service offered out of a church in the Bay area, the Panthers' free breakfast program quickly swelled to the point where thousands of poor children were given free meals across America -- according to some, becoming so successful that the government was "shamed" into creating similar programs in public schools. The Black Panthers' success in Oakland soon led to the opening of chapters in nearly every major city in the U.S., and knowledge of the party's "Ten Point Program" becoming widespread.

For all their work, however, the Panthers were haunted by accusations of militancy. The FBI accused the Panthers as being a "Black nationalist hate group." Stand-offs with the police occurred with increased frequency, sometimes turning violent and resulting in shoot-outs, ending with casualties on both sides. Reacting against a legislative act that would ban the open display of firearms, a contingent of Panthers entered the assembly room carrying their weapons, an act of protest which led to the imprisonment of a number of members. Eventually, the federal government mounted a "Cointelpro" (Counter intelligence program) campaign to dismantle Panthers, creating division, attacking reputations, and generally discrediting the organization as a whole.

Eventually, the organization succumbed to FBI attacks, dissolving in the early 1980s as Panther leadership found themselves imprisoned, splintered off from the organization, or fleeing criminals charges by going into exile in Cuba or African countries. Newton, perhaps the most iconic of the Panther leadership, was shot and killed in 1989 by a member of a rival Black Power organization, motivated by rumors that Newton had developed a drug addiction.

To this day, the Black Panther Party remains controversial. Some claim them as heroes who organized their communities into supporting and defending themselves, and allowing African Americans to live with dignity and self-determination. Others assert that they were nothing but thugs or even domestic terrorists who used the Civil Rights movement as a shield while they attacked and murdered police. Exactly what they were -- freedom fighters or criminals -- is perhaps a question that will never be answered. It cannot be ignored, however, that the Panthers played a major role in African American history, and this, if nothing else, needs to be recognized.