| Black Panther Party Liberation School |
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| by Billy X Jennings, It’s About Time Committee | |
| Wednesday, 03 October 2007 | |
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In 2007, the Black Panther Party (BPP) celebrates the 41st year since its founding. Last October, the 40th Anniversary Celebration in Oakland was a tremendous success. Panther Party members and supporters traveled from around the world for this celebration, especially recognizing the work of the rank and file.
This year, the focus of our history will be on the Black Panther Party's efforts to educate and mobilize the youth in our communities. The BPP established Liberation Schools in 1969 in order to educate our youth about their true history and to teach critical thinking and problem solving skills. Eventually, this led to the development of the Youth Institute, establishing its own curriculum and opening as a fully functioning school in 1973. This became known as the Oakland Community School at the Oakland Learning Center. The Learning Center was an oasis in the Oakland community. The daily attendance was nearly 200 students from age 5 to 16. In addition, thousands of Oakland youth and community members participated in the many programs provided by the center. The extracurricular programs included martial arts training, African dance class, a community band taught by Charles Moffett, and weekend and after-school activities for teens. In 1974, the school won a state award for its academic program and achievements. Under the direction of Ericka Huggins, with a dedicated staff, the school was a tremendous success. In honor of this history, there will be several historical exhibits in the Oakland Public Libraries during the month of October. Exhibits will be at
• West Oakland Library, 18th and Adeline
For more info, call (916) 455-0908 or visit our website, itsabouttimebpp.com. |
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