The Black Panthers

[progressive_lefty]

http://www.unifiedpatriots.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/huey-newton-bobby-black-panthers.jpg


Many know much about the Black Panthers?

I was searching around the internet for some videos about them, and saw one from sometime in the 60s which featured some of their beliefs and organisational set up. Most of my knowledge of the Panthers prior to the video was from old History books or even Forest Gump.

I had no idea that the Panthers were really behind the idea of an open self-defence - embracing weaponry. (Who can blame them, I support pacificism, but cannot ignore the situations African-Americans were in before civil rights were granted). I thought they were more about physical defence. I also thought it would have been impossible for the Panthers to have acquired as many weapons as they had, and I didn't realise that many city and state laws permitted people to carry weapons, of which the Panthers would - even to court. It seems like the Panthers were quite noble, they really were behind a left-wing mentality which sympathised with other opressed minorities or with 'radical whites'. The free breakfast and education programs were obviously one their memorable initiatives, not to mention their fight against alcohol, prostition and drugs coming into Black communities.

I have some questions though. A lot of people have the misconception that Malcolm X was involved in the Black Panthers, of which I usually correct people. But did Malcolm X ever comment on the Panthers? I know he wasn't involved in their organisation, but surely he must've commented on them or knew of them. Especially given that there was obviously an overlapping of beliefs with the Nation of Islam (eg. Black Nationalism, self-defence).

Any more discussion about the Panthers on this thread would be great. And any suggestions about documentaries would also be good.

[Bad Grrrl Agro]

Personally, I prefer the brown berets.

Back onto the subject, from what I know the original Panthers they had their own internal problems of sexism.

The New Black Panther Party is from my experience, a bunch of homophobic, sexist, racist assholes. That is right, the new panthers are racist towards non-black people of color.

[agnixie]

Personally, I prefer the brown berets.

Back onto the subject, from what I know the original Panthers they had their own internal problems of sexism.

The New Black Panther Party is from my experience, a bunch of homophobic, sexist, racist assholes. That is right, the new panthers are racist towards non-black people of color.

They've also largely been disowned by the old panthers, who consider them a bunch of right-wing populist wannabes.

[Red Future]

The NBPP are a disgrace to the name of the old BPP who were based on largely Maoist lines , they promote black ethnic supremacy- which pus them somewhere politically with the Nation of Islam

Bobby Seale speaks on them

Calling the rhetoric of the New Black Panther Party "xenophobic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenophobic)", he spoke of their remarks as, "absurd, racial, [and] categorical". “ Just to hate another person because [of] the color of their skin or their ethnicity (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnocentrism) — we don't do that. That's not what the goal objective is. The goal objective is human liberation. The goal objective is the greater community cooperation and humanism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanism). The goal objective is to get rid of institutionalized racism....[44] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Black_Panther_Party#cite_note-43)

[El Chuncho]

Yeah, the New Black Panthers are a black ''power'' or ''supremacy'' movements, whereas the old Black Panthers believed in ''racial'' equality, or human liberation. The NBPP are a disgrace to their name and I spit on them as I would spit on all racist groups regardless of colour.

[Jimmie Higgins]

Malcolm X was already dead by the time the BPP began organizing. In "Seize the Time" Bobby Seale opens the book with Malcolm's assassination and said that they saw the Panthers as following in his footsteps. Malcolm said, in the face of racist backlash in the south and police repression of the black proles in industrial areas, black people would be stupid not to arm themselves. That was basically the starting point for the BPP.

My impression is that the weapons were originally more street-theater than a real para-military thing in the beginning - but there were shoot-outs with police eventually and the party was targeted - even though at that point they had already moved away from the sort of armed Copwatch thing they had started doing. I could be wrong with the time-line on this last point because BPP groups different cities had different tactics and even different politics at different times.

[Ostrinski]

The BPP were pretty admirable I suppose. They were certainly the most involved and proactive communist force in US history. That is where even those critical of them must make concessions. Unfortunately they were eventually done in by state terror and internal contradictions. On top of this, community organization isn't the best way for manifesting a revolutionary movement, the whole vanguard idea was going to run out of steam eventually. They did great things for the people within the communities and proved to the subversive police that they weren't subhuman and that they were a valid social force. Aside from this, however, their importance falls short.

[AfricanAztecSamurai]

the bpp are still/always were important.although the new bpp are a disgrace to the name black panther.brother huey's book Revolutionary Suicide is a good read for more info. on their 10 point program,beginings,and end.in terms of documentaries HUEY P. NEWTON:PRELUDE TO REVOLUTION is the best way to go.

[Fulanito de Tal]

Yeah, the New Black Panthers are a black ''power'' or ''supremacy'' movements, whereas the old Black Panthers believed in ''racial'' equality, or human liberation. The NBPP are a disgrace to their name and I spit on them as I would spit on all racist groups regardless of colour.

“Black Power is giving power to people who have not had power to determine their destiny." -Huey P. Newton


Huey wrote his dissertation on how the US government oppresses social movements through the example of the Black Panthers. After reading it, I felt like slapping some people in the face with it.

[Bad Grrrl Agro]

“Black Power is giving power to people who have not had power to determine their destiny." -Huey P. Newton


Huey wrote his dissertation on how the US government oppresses social movements through the example of the Black Panthers. After reading it, I felt like slapping some people in the face with it.
Yeah, it is the powerless reclaiming power. Kinda like Chicano Power. When people talk about racial politics in the media they make it so black and white I want to puke. Mi raza is only mentioned when we're jumping the border.

[AfricanAztecSamurai]

the blacks and latinos should organize a movement together.like X said most hispanics have afro blood anyway.

[Queercommie Girl]

the blacks and latinos should organize a movement together.like X said most hispanics have afro blood anyway.

What does "afro blood" have to do with anything? The struggle against oppression has nothing to do with "racial affinity". All oppressed peoples should unite together to fight against their oppressors, regardless of what racial or cultural backgrounds they are from.

[Fulanito de Tal]

"We view each other with a great love...and try to extend this to...oppressed people all over the world. ... We differ from some other groups because we understand the system better than most groups understand the system and with this realization try to form a strong political base based in the community with the only strength that we have, which is a potentially destructive force if we don't get freedom." - Huey P Newton

Huey said that black people in the US have a better understanding of oppression, so they are better equipped in some sense to unite against oppression. Plus, they are on the side of all oppressed people in the world.

[Bad Grrrl Agro]

the blacks and latinos should organize a movement together.

You had me there for a second...



like X said most hispanics have afro blood anyway.


... You lost me there.

[Le Libérer]

http://www.unifiedpatriots.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/huey-newton-bobby-black-panthers.jpg


Many know much about the Black Panthers?

I was searching around the internet for some videos about them, and saw one from sometime in the 60s which featured some of their beliefs and organisational set up. Most of my knowledge of the Panthers prior to the video was from old History books or even Forest Gump.

I had no idea that the Panthers were really behind the idea of an open self-defence - embracing weaponry. (Who can blame them, I support pacificism, but cannot ignore the situations African-Americans were in before civil rights were granted). I thought they were more about physical defence. I also thought it would have been impossible for the Panthers to have acquired as many weapons as they had, and I didn't realise that many city and state laws permitted people to carry weapons, of which the Panthers would - even to court. It seems like the Panthers were quite noble, they really were behind a left-wing mentality which sympathised with other opressed minorities or with 'radical whites'. The free breakfast and education programs were obviously one their memorable initiatives, not to mention their fight against alcohol, prostition and drugs coming into Black communities.

I have some questions though. A lot of people have the misconception that Malcolm X was involved in the Black Panthers, of which I usually correct people. But did Malcolm X ever comment on the Panthers? I know he wasn't involved in their organisation, but surely he must've commented on them or knew of them. Especially given that there was obviously an overlapping of beliefs with the Nation of Islam (eg. Black Nationalism, self-defence).

Any more discussion about the Panthers on this thread would be great. And any suggestions about documentaries would also be good.
If you are interested in documentaries and links of the web to the BBP, heres the revleft group. (http://www.revleft.com/vb/group.php?groupid=243) We've already done some of the foot work for you.

[Fulanito de Tal]

The Black Panthers also started many social services in their neighborhoods. The first free breakfast program for children was started by the BPP. They weren't just militant, they were also philanthropists.

[progressive_lefty]

If you are interested in documentaries and links of the web to the BBP, heres the revleft group. (http://www.revleft.com/vb/group.php?groupid=243) We've already done some of the foot work for you.

That's good, I was searching around revleft for something about the BBP but didn't have any luck. I agree with what other posters said about the so-called 'New Black Panther Party'. They are obviously a disgrace, considering their move to the right and vilification of the prominent former members of the BBP. It would be great if the BBP still existed today, because there doesn't seem to be any Black identity movements for Black people, that are bounded on reasonable values. In my opinion the Nation of Islam needed someone like Malcolm X, and has been in decline ever since.

[tachosomoza]

My dad was with the original Black Panthers, started the Atlanta chapter in 1972. By that time, however, they had climaxed and were embroiled with infighting, in addition to constant police raids and murder of their leaders. Malcolm X met with the Panthers on several occasions, as a matter of fact he played an integral role in their formation. If he hadn't been killed, he undoubtedly would have continued to influence the organization.