This organization provided a vehicle that Black people used to fight the beasts of racism, police terrorism, capitalism and imperialism.

The organization was started in October of 1966 by Chairman Bobby Seale and Minister of Defense Huey P. Newton. The organization was founded on the premise of the 10 Point Platform, which detailed the needs and wants of our community.

One of the first campaigns of the Black Panther Party was exposing police terrorism in the case of Richmond resident Denzel Dowell. Ironically, 41 years since the founding of the Panthers, literally three blocks from the old Merritt College in North Oakland, where Huey and Bobby met, there is a shrine commemorating the life of Gary King, who was unwarrantedly shot in cold blood by the OPD two weeks ago.

The Denzel Dowell case was the leading story in the first edition of the Black Panther newspaper, which in its heyday had a circulation of 150,000 a week, nationwide. The Panthers had other survival (pending revolution) programs, including the first breakfast for children program, grocery and clothes giveaways, sickle cell testing, escorting seniors, taking families to visit imprisoned relatives, and patrolling the community reading people being harassed by the police their constitutional rights.

FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover called the Black Panther Party "the greatest threat to the internal security of the United States" because of the politics and services that they were arming Black people with. A lot of organizations were involved in one way or another with helping to raise the consciousness of the Black community, but it was the Black Panther Party's leadership in the fight against the government of the United States and the economic system of capitalism and imperialism, which led to this categorization.

Subsequently, the government assassinated a number of Black Panther leaders, including Deputy Minister of Defense Bunchy Carter, Deputy Minister of Information Jon Huggins, Treasurer Bobby Hutton, Deputy Chairman Fred Hampton, Defense Captain Mark Clark and Field Marshall George Jackson. The government's neutralization tactics were not limited to assassinations. Many Panthers have been tortured and locked up for decades, some from their Panther days and others after the Panthers were militarily defeated. These names include the Angola 3, members of the San Francisco 8, Mumia Abu Jamal, Imam Jamil Al-Amin, Chip Fitzgerald, Sundiata Acoli and Sekou Odinga.

It is our role to continue the resistance in this war against the Amerikkklan government and capitalism that so many have given their lives for. It is essential for us to look out for comrades who looked out and are looking out for us, when most of us weren't and aren't fighting for ourselves. First educate yourselves on the Black Panther Party, and use that information and inspiration to change the world.

Some books that you could check out on the history and politics of the Black Panther Party are "Revolutionary Suicide" by Huey Newton, "Seize the Time" by Bobby Seale, "Huey" by David Hilliard, "Assata" by Assata Shakur, "Blood in My Eye" by George Jackson, "Black Panthers Speak," edited by Phillip Foner, "We Want Freedom" by Mumia Abu Jamal, "Black Panther: the Revolutionary Art of Emory Douglas" by Emory Douglas and "A Taste of Power" by Elaine Brown.

Also look out for events commemorating the 41st birthday of the Black Panther Party at www.itsabouttimebpp.com and www.blockreportradio.com. There will be film showings, panels, photo exhibitions, films and parties. Stay tuned.

Email POCC Minister of Information JR at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and visit www.blockreportradio.com, hiphopwarreport.com and myspace.com/blockreportfilm.

Tag it:

?