About the Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party was a well-known African American organization during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's and part of the 1970's. They do not consider themselves to be associated with the "New Black Panther Party."
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Founded
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Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale founded the Black Panther Party in Oakland, California, in 1966 after the assassination of African-American civil rights activist Malcolm X.
Militant Characteristics
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The Black Panther Party was originally named "the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense," including the "self-defense" to show that they didn't agree with the idea of non-violence that was being espoused by most the civil rights movement at the time. The Black Panthers are believed to be the first black organization in American history that fought against oppression armed and with an explicitly revolutionary agenda.
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Principles
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The Black Panther Party created a "Ten Point plan," which listed goals pertaining to employment, housing, freedom, health care and education. They incorporated these principles themselves in 1969 when they set up kitchens around the country, enabling them to feed over 10,000 children everyday before school.
Controversy
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Former Black Panther member Stokely Carmichael claimed that the Black Panthers used the struggles of the Civil Rights movement to gain positions of power for themselves. Neoconservative David Horowitz characterized the Panthers as a criminal gang.
Fun Fact
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Tupac Shakur's mother was a Black Panther.
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