"All power to the people" : the influence and legacy of the Black Panther Party, 1966-1980

Abstract

The Black Panther Party, an African-American political and self-defense organization formed in 1966, promoted the idea of black power through its Ten Point Program, which advocated ten basic rights for black citizens. Its mixture of Maoist-inspired politics ultimately served to scapegoat the Party for white America's interpretation of black power. The Party is one of the most misunderstood organizations in American history. Founded in Oakland, California in October 1966 by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, the Black Panther Party formed in protest to police brutality. As the Party's popularity grew, factions of the organization quickly spread across the United States, and even across the Atlantic, where the Party's ideology and politics had a tremendous influence on black Brits. Although their popularity grew, the Party became known as a militant organization that was against 'the white man.' While some members of the Party committed acts of violence, the organization strongly advocated the use of violence only when necessary. The Party, as stated by Newton, was not anti-white, but rather against individuals who sought to condemn 'the black man.' The ideology of the Black Panther Party put the welfare of 'the people' above all else; the organization simply strived to better the community. The organization fully supported the black power movement, as one of the Party's original members, Stokely Carmichael, was one of the earliest individuals to write and preach on the subject. Through the Party's literature, the concept of black power spread rapidly across the nation, and the Atlantic, and made a particularly strong impact on blacks who lived in inner-city ghettos and projects.