The New Black Panther Party - Racist or Not?

[The Vegan Marxist]

Please explain why you think they are or are not racist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmrDIFWd6cM

[Sprocket Hole]

As guardian of the true history of the Black Panther Party, the [Dr. Huey P. Newton] Foundation, which includes former leading members of the Party, denounces this group's exploitation of the Party's name and history. Failing to find its own legitimacy in the black community, this band would graft the Party's name upon itself, which we condemn... [T]hey denigrate the Party's name by promoting concepts absolutely counter to the revolutionary principles on which the Party was founded... The Black Panthers were never a group of angry young militants full of fury toward the "white establishment." The Party operated on love for black people, not hatred of white people.
"There Is No New Black Panther Party"

[The Vegan Marxist]

"There Is No New Black Panther Party"

I'm glad you showed me this, Comrade. But that doesn't answer whether this group is racist or not.

[Robocommie]

Militant black nationalists have always, always been accused of racism by whites, and so I'm extremely wary of using that term. I heard someone once refer to the original Black Panthers as the black version of the KKK - which is beyond offensive. Because when black people say they are oppressed in America, when they've been stepped on and exploited for 400 years in America, it's absolutely true.

I'm always supportive of black nationalism. That said, there is a difference between black nationalism and black separatism, which the original Black Panthers rejected, and which Malcolm X himself eventually came to reject. Furthermore, they the NBPP do use a lot of problematic, anti-Semitic language and they're not even Marxist.

Additionally, as our respected comrades in the original Black Panthers have denounced this newer organization and refused to endorse it as a successor, I have to say that without commenting further on their politics, it can't be seen as legitimate.

[The Vegan Marxist]

Militant black nationalists have always, always been accused of racism by whites, and so I'm extremely wary of using that term. I heard someone once refer to the original Black Panthers as the black version of the KKK - which is beyond offensive. Because when black people say they are oppressed in America, when they've been stepped on and exploited for 400 years in America, it's absolutely true.

I'm always supportive of black nationalism. That said, there is a difference between black nationalism and black separatism, which the original Black Panthers rejected, and which Malcolm X himself eventually came to reject.

Additionally, as our respected comrades in the original Black Panthers have denounced this newer organization and refused to endorse it as a successor, I have to say that without commenting further on their politics, it can't be seen as legitimate.

I'll stick with African nationalists though, cuz that's where most revolutionary blacks are for. But it also pertains to whites & everyone else as well, since Africa is the evolutionary home of all life.

[Palingenisis]

Revolutionary nationalists/seperatists being a little over the top. I wouldnt say racist as such though its possibility (as opposed to probality).

Big deal....One of the key tests of Revolutionary Communists in the USA is support for the national liberation of the New Arfikan nation caught inside its borders....Whether groups in the USA support that or not is a much bigger deal...

How come there seem no Black revolutionary nationalists/seperatists on this forum?

[mosfeld]

How are they racist? :)

They strive for self-determination for African-Americans and support the empowerment of African-Americans. Unless you're a spineless liberal who puts black nationalism (i.e, nationalism of the oppressed) on par with white nationalism (i.e, nationalism of the oppressor) then there's absolutely no reason to view them as racist.

From their platform (http://www.newblackpanther.com/platform.html).
"3. We want tax exemption and an end to robbery of THE BLACK NATION by the CAPITALIST. We want an end to the capitalistic domination of Africa in all of its forms: imperialism, criminal settler colonialism, neo-colonialism, racism, sexism, zionism, Apartheid and artificial borders. "

Clearly a bunch of racists.

In our private message debate, you claimed that you've read certain members of the NBPP claim they want to eradicate the white race. This is clearly just rhetoric. You didn't really provide a source, but even if it was real, It'd still just be plain old rhetoric. Did you stop supporting Hamas when they claimed, rhetorically, that they were going to conquer Rome? (or something like that, I can't remember what the report was.)

Don't be a "part-time anti-imperialist". Support all anti-imperialist national liberation movements and nations fighting for self-determination.

[Palingenisis]

Militant black nationalists have always, always been accused of racism by whites, and so I'm extremely wary of using that term.

A friend of mine had an argument with this Irish emigre to Texas on a discussion forum based over here about the original Black Panther Party...That guy was coming out with really crazy stuff about how they thought raping white women was part of the revolutionary struggle! Sickening....So I know where you are coming from.

[The Vegan Marxist]

How are they racist? :)

They strive for self-determination for African-Americans and support the empowerment of African-Americans. Unless you're a spineless liberal who puts black nationalism (i.e, nationalism of the oppressed) on par with white nationalism (i.e, nationalism of the oppressor) then there's absolutely no reason to view them as racist.

From their platform (http://www.newblackpanther.com/platform.html).
"3. We want tax exemption and an end to robbery of THE BLACK NATION by the CAPITALIST. We want an end to the capitalistic domination of Africa in all of its forms: imperialism, criminal settler colonialism, neo-colonialism, racism, sexism, zionism, Apartheid and artificial borders. "

Clearly a bunch of racists.

In our private message debate, you claimed that you've read certain members of the NBPP claim they want to eradicate the white race. This is clearly just rhetoric. You didn't really provide a source, but even if it was real, It'd still just be plain old rhetoric. Did you stop supporting Hamas when they claimed, rhetorically, that they were going to conquer Rome? (or something like that, I can't remember what the report was.)

Don't be a "part-time anti-imperialist". Support all anti-imperialist national liberation movements and nations fighting for self-determination.

Who says I stopped supporting the Hamas? I still do to certain conditions. And if you watch the video provided, it seems clear that they are not in support of whites whatsoever.

[mosfeld]

Who says I stopped supporting the Hamas? I still do to certain conditions. I didn't claim you stopped supporting Hamas, I raised a question whether you should since the two examples were comparable. The NBPP is a progressive anti-imperialist organization, and so is Hamas. When Hamas makes over-the-top rhetorical statements, it's okay, and you continue to support them but when the NBPP does it, its outrageous and they're racist?


And if you watch the video provided, it seems clear that they are not in support of whites whatsoever. Why should they anyways? :)

They're trying to free themselves from a society dominated by the white man, not integrate into it. They're not, as they'd call it, house niggers.

[Robocommie]

A friend of mine had an argument with this Irish emigre to Texas on a discussion forum based over here about the original Black Panther Party...That guy was coming out with really crazy stuff about how they thought raping white women was part of the revolutionary struggle! Sickening....So I know where you are coming from.

I suppose I can see where that came from, actually. Eldridge Cleaver had written an autobiography in prison where he admitted to serial rape of both white and black women, saying he used to believe that "rape was an insurrectionary act."

But Eldridge Cleaver did not get along with Huey Newton, many feel he played a part in the Black Panther's downfall, and he later on renounced Marxism and became a conservative Republican.

[khad]

The NBPP are the lumpen degenerate contingent of the Obamaforce.

I don't believe many of you recall the Harlem debate in Dec of 2008, where community leaders and activists debated the merits of Obama's election victory. Overall, those critical of Obama, like Black Agenda Report's Glen Ford, managed to wear down their opponents with fact and solid logic. The Obamatons, however, simply resorted to emotion tugging when backed into a corner.

This is what the NBPP had to say.
http://www.sfbayview.com/2008/the-great-harlem-debate-was-the-obama-election-good-for-black-people/

Malik Zulu Shabazz, who heads up the New Black Panther Party, spoke about the type of uplifting impact the Obama rise to the presidency has had with the gang members he has been working with. He talked about the Crips in LA and the Bloods in Brooklyn expressing pride in seeing Obama run and win. He talked about how many felt inspired to do better for themselves. He also questioned why we would want to rain on the parade of those elders and other community members who saw this as a great accomplishment. He asked those opposed to Obama if we had rather have John McCain in the White House?

[Barry Lyndon]

The fact that they have been denounced by the original Black Panthers as a racist and anti-Semitic organization is good enough for me. The Black Panthers had no compunction about describing the Nation of Islam as 'black racists', and we on the left should have problem with using those words to describe groups with similar politics. Of course it is a reaction to institutional white racism but trailing off into religious fanaticism, pseudo-science, and racist/sexist/homophobic worldviews does not benefit anybody, least of all poor blacks.

[Crusade]

There is no new black panther party, like someone else mentioned. They were denounced just like the "paper panthers" of the old days who the true Panthers were forced to intimidate just to get them to stop using their name. Sadly the true panthers aren't around anymore to get these people to end their charade. I'd do it myself, but the wife says no. I don't object to a new group using similar tactics as the panthers, but don't call yourself a panther when your ideology is nowhere near theirs and risk the chance of misrepresenting them. Also, even if you DID believe exactly what they did, if you don't have their permission to be merely considered another "branch", why not just call yourself something else? It's not about the name really, it's the movement. My family is full of a lot of ex panthers, and Fred Hampton went to the same school I did(I obviously didn't go to school with him though, I'm 20), so the effects of the panther era is still present in a lot of minds. It does annoy the hell out of me when people act as if the panthers are like the "black kkk", but these are usually the same people who think Communists are fascists so I'd be dumb to expect anything else.

[Dimentio]

Militant black nationalists have always, always been accused of racism by whites, and so I'm extremely wary of using that term. I heard someone once refer to the original Black Panthers as the black version of the KKK - which is beyond offensive. Because when black people say they are oppressed in America, when they've been stepped on and exploited for 400 years in America, it's absolutely true.

I'm always supportive of black nationalism. That said, there is a difference between black nationalism and black separatism, which the original Black Panthers rejected, and which Malcolm X himself eventually came to reject. Furthermore, they the NBPP do use a lot of problematic, anti-Semitic language and they're not even Marxist.

Additionally, as our respected comrades in the original Black Panthers have denounced this newer organization and refused to endorse it as a successor, I have to say that without commenting further on their politics, it can't be seen as legitimate.

The LNSGP once endorsed the NBPP if my memory serves me correct. I don't know if that affection was/is mutual, but it tells a lot about the differences.

[AK]

Militant black nationalists have always, always been accused of racism by whites, and so I'm extremely wary of using that term.It could probably have something to do with the terminology of the term "Black Nationalism" - this a term that could easily be said to be akin to White Nationalism. I think "Black Liberationism" would be better as "nationalism" seems to mean a certain nation is superior to another.

[9]

One of the key tests of Revolutionary Communists in the USA is support for the national liberation of the New Arfikan nation caught inside its borders....

:confused: What does this mean? What "nation" are you referring to in the geographic sense? Is it this sort of idea of the Diaspora returning to the historic Homeland...?

[mosfeld]

:confused: What does this mean? What "nation" are you referring to in the geographic sense? Is it this sort of idea of the Diaspora returning to the historic Homeland...? "New Afrika" is basically the Black Belt in the USA. Harry Haywoods masterpiece Negro Liberation (http://marx2mao.com/Other/NL48.pdf) goes into great detail about how it constitutes a nation for the oppressed negro in the USA.

Also read The 1928 and 1930 Comintern Resolutions on the Black National Question in the United States (http://www.marx2mao.net/Other/CR75.html).

[Tablo]

I reject ethnic nationalism in all its forms. Ethnic liberation is an entirely different thing though. The new Black Panther Party seems like a bunch of racists based on what little I have read about them. I do know that the old Panthers completely reject them. Also the new Panthers lack the Maoist influence the old Panthers had. While the new Panthers aren't bad like the KKK, I certainly do not see them as the best group for African Americans to align with. They would be much better off with the PLP who focus a great deal of their efforts fighting racism. Or they could be Anarchists, lol.

[The Inquisitor]

I reject ethnic nationalism in all its forms. Ethnic liberation is an entirely different thing though. The new Black Panther Party seems like a bunch of racists based on what little I have read about them. I do know that the old Panthers completely reject them. Also the new Panthers lack the Maoist influence the old Panthers had. While the new Panthers aren't bad like the KKK, I certainly do not see them as the best group for African Americans to align with. They would be much better off with the PLP who focus a great deal of their efforts fighting racism. Or they could be Anarchists, lol.

What he said. :thumbup1: