Question

What were some of the key strategies and programs of the Black Panther Party? How did the party impact the African American community?

Answer 1

• In October of 1966, in Oakland California, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale founded the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. The Panthers practiced militant self-defense of minority communities against the U.S. government, and fought to establish revolutionary socialism through mass organizing and community based programs.
• The party was one of the first organizations in U.S. history to militantly struggle for ethnic minority and working class emancipation — a party whose agenda was the revolutionary establishment of real economic, social, and political equality across gender and color lines.
• The practices of the late Malcolm X were deeply rooted in the theoretical foundations of the Black Panther Party. Malcolm had represented both a militant revolutionary, with the dignity and self-respect to stand up and fight to win equality for all oppressed minorities; while also being an outstanding role model, someone who sought to bring about positive social services; something the Black Panthers would take to new heights.
• The Panthers followed Malcolm's belief of international working class unity across the spectrum of color and gender, and thus united with various minority and white revolutionary groups. From the tenets of Maoism they set the role of their Party as the vanguard of the revolution and worked to establish a united front, while from Marxism they addressed the capitalist economic system, embraced the theory of dialectical materialism, and represented the need for all workers to forcefully take over the means of production.
  
• The language of the Black Panthers was violent as was their public stance. They preached for a “revolutionary war” but though they considered themselves an African-American party, they were willing to speak out for all those who were oppressed from whatever minority group. They were willing to use violence to get what they wanted.
• The Black Panther Party (BPP) had four desires : equality in education, housing, employment and civil rights. It had a 10 Point Plan to get its desired goals.
• The ten points of the party platform were:
• 1) “Freedom; the power to determine the destiny of the Black and oppressed communities.
• 2) Full Employment; give every person employment or guaranteed income.
• 3) End to robbery of Black communities; the overdue debt of forty acres and two mules as promised to ex-slaves during the reconstruction period following the emancipation of slavery.
• 4) Decent housing fit for the shelter of human beings; the land should be made into cooperatives so that the people can build.
• 5) Education for the people; that teaches the true history of Blacks and their role in present day society.
• 6) Free health care; health facilities which will develop preventive medical programs.
• 7) End to police brutality and murder of Black people and other people of color and oppressed people.
• 8) End to all wars of aggression; the various conflicts which exist stem directly from the United States ruling circle.
• 9) Freedom for all political prisoners; trials by juries that represent our peers.
• 10) Land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice, peace and community control of modern industry.”
• The programs were of key importance in the Panthers strategy. Firstly, they demonstrated that politics was relevant to peoples lives – to feed a hungry child, give out food, clothing and medical care showed that the Panthers related to people’s needs. Secondly, it showed what could be achieved if you were organized. The programs achieved a great deal with very limited resources but it also raised in peoples minds how much more could be achieved if they had the resources available to the government and the business corporations.
• The first program the Panthers organized was the Free Breakfast for Children Program. The Panthers would go out and get donations of food from businessmen. Any chain of stores that refused even a small donation would be boycotted. Leaflets would be produced and distributed in the community exposing that business.
• The programs usually took place in a church hall. Party members would have to work very hard, starting work at 6am every day. They would prepare breakfast, serve children, they would usually sing some songs with them and then, when the children left, they would have to clear the place up and go out to collect provisions for the next day.
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