The Black Panther Party

[Raisa]

I heard some people on here contend to me ( usually they were not from America) that the black panther party was racist.
As far as I always knew they were a group for interests of the black community in the USA. I think they did alot to uplift their community, making people not be ashamed to be who they are in the shadows of a white america that most of the time had its back turned to their struggle.

What do people think here?

their site is www.blackpanther.org

[ComradeRed]

The panthers have the answer, imho; the capitalists just don't want to admit it and label them 'rascist' to detract their positive impact. Moreover, most capitalists argue that Malcom X(who in their eyes founded the black panthers) is a rascist; however, he defines his lexicon in "I am not a racist".

[Wiesty]

ooo i had heard somtin on tv about some one famous's parent were in the black panthers, wasnt sure if it was will smith or whoever
i forget :huh:

[BuyOurEverything]

While I definately support the Black Panthers, there's something I've been considering lately. Should we support black nationalism? As a communist, I oppose all forms of nationalism and strive for internationalism. Why is black nationalism different?

[Hampton]

To history we will go, to History we will go...

[timbaly]

Occasionally while watching public televison in New York City I come across so called black panthers. Many of them have obvious racist overtones in their speeches and they tend to incorporate christianity with their "movement". They're always seen in the inner city of Brooklyn. most of the time they don't have many listeners. The Black Panthers that I know of today are nothing like those of the past.

[Hampton]

Yes, the "New Black Panther Party" have nothing to do with the old party and are racist and anti-sematic, the old party members have denounced them.

As to the Black Nationalism, a lot of people don't realzize that the Panthers did not always consider themselves BNs. It was the first phase of their ideological development. Like Malcolm, it lasted only a few years then it was later passed over for Internationalism and Intercommunalism.

Although the Nationalism at the time was a good thing in that it emphized the use of the word black inststead of Negro and colored. Under it Huey argued that it would bring jobs, better housing and education. He began to move away from it realizing that one's color shapes the way you look at the approach the world but did not have to determine someone's entire outlook on society.

Race was no longer the issue, it was about class



ooo i had heard somtin on tv about some one famous's parent were in the black panthers, wasnt sure if it was will smith or whoever

I think you mean Tupac Shakur. His mom was a Panther.

[elijahcraig]

Shakur is related to Assata is he not, who is now in Cuba in exile, also.

The Black Panthers were openly Maoist from what I know.

I don't consider them racist, and I look up to all of the Panthers for being maybe the greatest opponent to American capitalism the country has ever seen.

[Eastside Revolt]

The black panthers were some of the few non-racist, to come out of the black power movement.

[Umoja]

Tupac's mother was Afeni Shakur.

Assata Shakur was a New York Panther who got shot by police in Northern NJ, went to jail and then escaped to Cuba. Her autobiography Assata details this pretty well, and is a nice read.

[Raisa]

Originally posted by [email protected] 12 2004, 01:47 AM
ooo i had heard somtin on tv about some one famous's parent were in the black panthers, wasnt sure if it was will smith or whoever
i forget :huh:
Im pretty sure youre talking about Pac .

[pandora]

Originally posted by [email protected] 12 2004, 03:59 AM
I heard some people on here contend to me ( usually they were not from America) that the black panther party was racist.
As far as I always knew they were a group for interests of the black community in the USA. I think they did alot to uplift their community, making people not be ashamed to be who they are in the shadows of a white america that most of the time had its back turned to their struggle.

What do people think here?

their site is www.blackpanther.org
I think they had the right idea and that they are making their prescence felt again with their newsletter the, "It's About Time Newsletter," from the "It's About Time Committee," which was started in 1995 of former BPP members around Oakland, California.

The new website is up and running: it is
http://www.itsabouttimebpp.com

and has full information on their platforms
http://www.itsabouttimebpp.com/home/bpp_pr...m_platform.html (http://www.itsabouttimebpp.com/home/bpp_program_platform.html)
and social programs. The new branch of the Black Panthers that tried to rise did not have a clear Marxist perspective and did not encourage resistance through social programs for the people.

This was not congruent with the BPP platform, which was of the people for the people, so they were not in alliance with them. However they did encourage them in their pride, but simply pointed out that they needed to look at creating social programs for the people. But more on this can be gotten through the website, which has an incredible archive of information or by signing up for the newsletter.

[APRandolph]

How can the Black Panthers be 'racist' when they worked side by side with white radicals for a racially egalitarian society? The question of the BPPSD split the radical left, specifically the Communist Left, between the Revolutionary Youth Movement and the Progressive Labor Party, both of which came to dominate the SDS during the late 1960s. The more Mao Zedong leaning RYM (which later turned into the Weather Underground and Avakian's RCP), sided with the Panthers, believing that wars for national liberation coinsided with the tenets of Marxist-Leninism. The PLP, being anti-nationalist and decrying the BPPSD as reactionary, were more Stalin leaning and never ever really sympathizing with anti-colonization movements either in the US or elsewhere.

The Black Panthers fought for the defense of their communities and were largely non-violent and welcomed the ranks of progressive whites in their fight. They set up food pantries and brought attention to police brutality. Unfortunately they were systematically assassinated by the US gov's COINTELPRO. A damn shame.

[flyby]

There are two things wrong with the view that the Black Panthers were "racist."

First, this view accepts the Reaganite idea that there is "reverse racism" and that black militants are "just as racist as the white militants." And that the national conciousness of Black people is as repugnant as the white supremacist consciousness of reactionary whites, and so on.

Second, it repeats the lie that the Panthers were anti-white (which they were not.)

The Black Panthers were the black nationalist group that was (a) the most revolutonary and most influenced by Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, and (b) the most eager to work with white revolutionaries and unite broadly with progressive sections of the white masses. And they were eager to find the ways to broadly unite all nationalities within the u.s., and unite with all the oppressed nations of the world in the common struggle against imperialism.

So the idea they were "anti-white" is simply a lie.

On every level, the notion that the Panthers "were racist" is a mistaken (if sometimes genuinely confused) embrace of the lies put out by extreme reactionaries (who were and are the enemies of the Black Liberation struggle.)

[flyby]

as for "should communists support black nationalism."

The ideology of communists is internationalism not nationalism. so communists are not nationalists of any kind. They approach the struggle from the point of view of the world, humanity and the interests of the oppressed -- not (fundamentally) from the interests of any single nation, even an oppressed one.

However revolutionary communists unite with revolutionary and progressive Black nationalists, who have played (and will play) an important role in the revolutionary struggle.

[praxis1966]

It is true that the Panthers embraced Black Nationalism at the outset. However, if you read The Black Panthers Speak (a collection of writings and speaches by the original members) you will find that they eventually evolved out of the naivety of the "10 Point Program."

There is, in fact, an essay printed in TBPS by Bobby Seale that was published in The Black Panther which discusses not only the need for a strong socialist party in the U$, but the need for internationalization of the struggle and solidarity with Minh and the Viet-Cong as well.

[themanwhodoesnotexist]

peace.....
the BPP wasn't racist......
alot of Black Militants didn't like the BPP because they didn't teach that the white man is the devil..........

[flyby]

It is true the BPP talked about socialism, and talked about supporting the Vietnamese revolution and other national liberaiton struggles.

But upholding that, and other forms of international solidarity can still be done from a nationalist position.

The panthers were revolutionary nationalists, not proletarian internationalists.

[RABBIT - THE - CUBAN - MILITANT]

I grew up with the teaching of the 66 Panther party and like 4 months ago I was walking by the Eaton’s Center I saw some panther and started to talk to them I was shocked about they why they talked about people the Jewish faith ..it reminded me of the way the H.J. where thought to think . its sad but there is another panther group .. cant remember the name I’ll post it when I do but find that their message it’s a perfect blend of the old panthers and our new world. I suggest every one read "Black Panthers Speck" one of my top favorite books

[Colombia]

What are you guys view's on the Black Liberation Army that was an spin-off of the BPP?

[comrade_mufasa]

black nationalism is more about blacks not exepting white ideals then what one would think of when thinking of white nationalism which is "white people should be the only people". during the 60s it was commen for black men to use straitener on thier hair(and take it from me this shit burns so bad on your scalp) so that they would have white strait hair and not thier natural african locks. they did this becouse they thought that if they had strait hair the would be excepted be whites, but they were never excepted. black nationalism worked to say that african locks are not a burden or something bad they are something to be proud of. this is just an example there is more to black nationalism then hair.
Long live Malcom x, Newton, Hampton, Seale, Afeni Shakur, Assata Shakur, Tupac, and the ideals of the original BPP.

[Djehuti]

Even if I do not completly agree with the ideology of the old Black Panther party, I do hold them in greatest respect. Huey Newton, Little Bobby Hutton, Fred Hampton, etc...
Great men all.

[RABBIT - THE - CUBAN - MILITANT]

Originally posted by [email protected] 4 2005, 04:35 PM
black nationalism is more about blacks not exepting white ideals. during the 60s it was commen for black men to use straitener on thier hair(and take it from me this shit burns so bad on your scalp) so that they would have white strait hair and not thier natural african locks. they did this becouse they thought that if they had strait hair the would be excepted be whites, but they were never excepted. black nationalism worked to say that african locks are not a burden or something bad they are something to be proud of. this is just an example there is more to black nationalism then hair.
Long live Malcom x, Newton, Hampton, Seale, Afeni Shakur, Assata Shakur, Tupac, and the ideals of the original BPP.
you said it :D

[Hampton]

Originally posted by [email protected] 4 2005, 09:44 AM
What are you guys view's on the Black Liberation Army that was an spin-off of the BPP?
There's a lot of mystery revolving around the BLA which is why I think people either don't know anything about them or very little. The list of crimes that had been attributed to the BLA is pretty long and it is in various publications about them by Albert ?Nuh? Washington and Jalil Abdul Muntaqim.

I don't think they had a huge imapct when compared to the Panthers but it was an outlet of the angry that was around at the time. I mean they are mostly known for shooting cops and robbing a brinks truck, but their initial statment is still something that can be looked up to and sought after.

In the BLA. (http://apa.online.free.fr/Etats%20Unis/MLNAA/In_the_Black_Liberation_Army.html)

[Colombia]

That link you provided will be quite useful. Thank you.

[Rage Against the Right]

Unfortunatley the people of the movement do not always exemplify the values of that movement. It's only in a few cases that an altruist comes along that fully represents the movement.

[guerillablack]

Interesting link.

[dreams are free mofo]

Black Panther Coloring Book (http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/POLITICS/COINTELPRO/coloring.html)

anyone seen/heard of this before?

[NoiseUnited]

Yes I have heard about that throught the book "War at Home". THough I had never seen it before, thank you for the link.

[Hampton]

Pretty cheap book put together by the government under the guise that it was put out by the Panthers. Pretty cheap propaganda.

http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/POLITICS/COINTELPRO/bpcb19.gif

[guerillablack]

Pretty hot coloring book

[comrade_mufasa]

Originally posted by dreams are free [email protected] 16 2005, 01:13 PM
Black Panther Coloring Book (http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/POLITICS/COINTELPRO/coloring.html)

anyone seen/heard of this before?
wow thats great. i will print few 100 and hand them out to the kindergarden near my home. give the kids some real knowledge. there should be one about capitalist.

[guerillablack]

I know it's such a hot coloring book, i wish the BP's woulda really did it. :angry: