Black Panthers - depth study Flashcards
Outline the Black Panthers.
Formed 15 October 1966 by Bobbly Seale and Huey Newton. Black Panther Party, BPP, focused on self defence and economic independence and was inspired by Malcolm X. They argued police occupied black ghettoes like soldiers occupied Vietnam and set a militia with black berets, leather jackets, and blue shirts. Their slogan was ‘off the pigs!’
What was the Ten Point Programme?
Their Ten Point Programme was released on 15 October. Point one called for education on black heritage, point three called for an end of police brutality, point five called for full employment, and point 9 called for release of black people held in prisons and fair trial. The program concerned education, employment, justice, housing etc. Magazine Black Panther discussed the racist US justice system.
What inspired the Black Panther Party (BPP)?
Ideology: Inspired by Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth, 1961, linking black struggle with struggle against colonialism in the Third World. Looked to Mao Zedong who removed white oppressors in China, and called for refusal to fight in Vietnam. Karl Marx, German philosopher, inspired their revolutionary approach with the working class against capitalism.
What was Patrol the Pigs?
Patrol the Pigs: started in Oakland, California. Kept police under surveillance, any time a police patrol stopped an African American, Black Panther patrols observed it. Huey Newton had a law book in his car and would question the police at incidents, drawing in onlookers. Educated black citizens on their rights, campaign spread to Berkeley and Richmond.
What were results of Patrol the Pigs?
Californian government attempted to ban patrols leading to BPP courting media attention. By 1967 party had 35 branches across 15 states. In 1967 when Newton was arrested on murder charges, Free Huey campaign gained publicity, Newton released 1970.
What resulted from Newton’s arrest?
Arrest of Newton led to shift in leadership and ‘survival programmes.’ Programmes were funded by black businessmen and celebrities such as Richard Pryor, black comedian, and Jimi Hendrix. By 1969 Free Breakfast for School Children Programme fed over 10,000 each school day, having started at St Augustine’s Church, Oakland.
What were the health clinics?
Free health clinics offered tests for sickle cell disease and emergency health care/contraception, inspiring women and Hispanics to set similar. By 1974 over 200 free clinics supporting 200,000.
What were liberation schools?
Liberation schools first set with Oakland Community School staffed by volunteers. Ran in churches or people’s homes to empower adult African Americans by teaching them about struggles, actions, or past achievements at odds with conventional ideas taught. Extended to children and young providing academic support.
How popular were the BPP by 1968?
By 1968 had branches across LA, Seattle, Denver, Chicago, Washington DC, NYC etc. Only had 5000 members but newspaper had circulation of 250,000 and readership of a million. Black GIs gave 70% approval to Elridge Cleaver, Newton, and Seale.
How did the FBI try to undermine them?
COINTELPRO, FBI’s counterintelligence, found the FBI believed a black messiah would emerge uniting radical black groups in revolution against the US government, so they justified dirty tricks such as forging death threats to the US government, phone-tapping, and infiltration/arrest. Legal fees reduced funding for survival programmes and party lost support.
What leadership divides were there?
Leaders were divided as Newton wanted to focus on survival programmes while Cleaver wanted militancy. Women disliked macho image of party and worked on health and education. They disliked Elridge Cleaver who was a convicted rapist prior to joining the party.
When did the BPP ally up with SNCC and how did it end?
Newton was Minister of Defence, Seale was Central Committee Chairman, and Elridge Cleaver was Minister of Information. Allied with SNCC in February 1968 with Stokely Carmichael being President. By July 1969 they separate from party as they advocated black nationalism while BPP wanted multiracial fight of working class and there were clashes.
What state was the BPP in by 1970?
By 1970 most leaders were killed, arrested, or forced into exile like Elridge Cleaver. They promoted killing police which led to a large response.
Why did the BPP decline?
Poor definition and organisation with differing aims, unrealistic goals with violence aggravating federal government and socialism unrealistic in capitalist US, women didn’t support movement due to sexism, when SNCC and CORE rejected white members they lost funding with SNCC reduced to three cities by 1970 and breaking up in December 1973, Nixon’s administration – in 1972 Wilmington Ten were charged with arson in North Carolina and three judges were KKK members.
