The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party: The George Gund Foundation

The Black Panther Party was a political organization founded in Oakland, California, in 1966. The party's main goals were to promote self-defense, economic empowerment, and social equality for African Americans. The party was founded by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, and it quickly gained a following among African Americans in Oakland and other cities. The party's militancy and its calls for revolution led to it being targeted by the FBI, and many of its members were killed or imprisoned. In the 1970s, the party declined, but it has continued to inspire activists and organizers today.

Black against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party (The George Gund Foundation Imprint in African American Studies)

by Joshua Bloom

4.8 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	20163 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	564 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE

The Founding of the Black Panther Party

The Black Panther Party was founded on October 15, 1966, by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. Newton was a former student at Merritt College in Oakland, and Seale was a former member of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. The two men met at a rally in Oakland and decided to form a new organization that would focus on self-defense and community empowerment. The party's name was inspired by the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, a group that had been founded in Lowndes County, Alabama, in 1965.

The Black Panther Party's Ten-Point Program was a statement of the party's goals. The program called for self-defense, economic empowerment, and social equality for African Americans. The program also called for the release of all political prisoners, an end to police brutality, and the right to trial by a jury of one's peers. The Ten-Point Program was a radical statement of black power, and it quickly gained a following among African Americans in Oakland and other cities.

The Black Panther Party and the FBI

The Black Panther Party's militancy and its calls for revolution led to it being targeted by the FBI. The FBI's COINTELPRO program was a series of covert operations designed to disrupt and discredit the Black Panther Party. The FBI used a variety of tactics to discredit the party, including spreading rumors, planting false evidence, and infiltrating the party with agents. The FBI's COINTELPRO program was successful in disrupting the Black Panther Party, and many of its members were killed or imprisoned.

The Decline of the Black Panther Party

In the 1970s, the Black Panther Party declined. The party was weakened by the FBI's COINTELPRO program, and it was also facing competition from other black organizations. The party's decline was also due to internal divisions and conflicts. In 1974, the party split into two factions, one led by Newton and the other led by Seale. The two factions were unable to reconcile their differences, and the party eventually collapsed.

The Legacy of the Black Panther Party

The Black Panther Party was a controversial organization, but it also had a significant impact on the civil rights movement. The party's militancy and its calls for revolution helped to raise awareness of the plight of African Americans in the United States. The party's social programs, such as the free breakfast for children program, also helped to improve the lives of many African Americans. The Black Panther Party was a symbol of black power, and it continues to inspire activists and organizers today.

The George Gund Foundation

The George Gund Foundation is a private foundation that has been supporting the work of the Black Panther Party since the 1970s. The foundation has provided funding for a variety of programs, including the free breakfast for children program and the Black Panther Party's legal defense fund. The foundation has also supported the work of other organizations that are working to promote social justice for African Americans. The George Gund Foundation is a major supporter of the Black Panther Party, and its work has helped to ensure that the party's legacy will continue.

Additional Resources

• The Black Panther Party website
• The George Gund Foundation website
• NPR article on the Black Panther Party

Black against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party (The George Gund Foundation Imprint in African American Studies)

by Joshua Bloom

4.8 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	20163 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	564 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE