Basically, cultural nationalism sees the white man as the oppressor and makes no distinction between racist whites and non-racist whites, as the Panthers do. “Cultural nationalists and Black Panthers are in conflict in many areas. These experiences were critical in the formation of the ideology of the Panthers as it led to them rejecting the philosophy of what they called the cultural nationalists. Bobby Seale was part of RAM (Revolutionary Action Movement) and both Seale and Newton became involved in a college-based group called the Soul Students Advisory Committee. Both were active in Black politics for several years before they came together to form the Panthers. The civil rights movement had ignited Black America: Seale and Newton were no exception. They met in the early sixties whilst at Meritt Junior College in West Oakland. The Black Panther Party was founded by Huey P. The Panthers took the revolutionary philosophy and militant stand of Malcolm X, they were determined that although Malcolm X had been cut down, they would make his ideas come alive. It was against this background of upheaval that the Black Panther Party was created. He saw the need to embrace the social and economic issues and he attempted to put forward a more coherent strategy than any Black leader up to that point. Malcolm X saw the limitations of both the Muslims and King’s strategy of non-violence. Their radical ideology was appealing but they refused to participate in the civil rights movement or to become involved in the activities of non-Nation members. The Nation believed in separation instead of integration and were completely opposed to passive resistance. Stokely Carmichael was prominent among those who opposed passive resistance and represented the feelings of a new generation of Blacks who felt that the peaceful approach was played out.Īlongside the mainstream civil rights was another current: much smaller than King’s movement but still with significant numbers were the Black Muslims. Contrasting views on a strategy for Black liberation began to emerge. The increasing ferocity of the violence put a great strain on the movement. Despite this, the guiding philosophy of the civil rights leaders – in particular Martin Luther King – remained one of civil disobedience and passive resistance. Both from the police, local white mobs and the Ku Klux Klan, civil rights protesters faced the constant threat of brutal attack or even death. Hundreds of thousands had been mobilized to participate in the demonstrations, sit-ins and freedom rides. The movement had largely been based in the south and around demands for desegregation of the busses, schools, waiting rooms and lunch counters. The formation of the Panthers was the direct result of the development of the civil rights movement which had already been in full swing for more than a decade before they were created. In this chapter, we will be looking at the formation of the Panthers, their program and activities, but more importantly, what marked the Panthers out to be different from all other organizations, what led them to be the inspiration to generations around the world to join the struggle against oppression. Edgar Hoover, then head of the FBI described them as “the number one threat to the internal security of the United States”. Their impact on Black America can be measured by the response of the state. Opinion polls of the day showed the Panthers to have 90% support amongst Blacks in the major cities. At their peak, they sold 250,000 papers every week. Such was their success that they rapidly grew to a size of 5,000 full time party workers, organized in 45 chapters (branches) across America. They organized dozens of community programs such as free breakfast for children, health clinics and shoes for children. Formed in 1966, the Black Panther Party for Self Defense was the largest Black revolutionary organization that has ever existed.įamous for taking up guns in defense against police brutality, the Panthers had many other little-known sides to their work.
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