The Black PanthersLook at this image and think:

Who are they? What do they

want? What do they

stand for?

In 1969, when this photograph of Black Panther Party members was taken, outside a courthouse in New York City, the organization had begun to divide and fracture as members argued about how to act and in the face of clashes with the authorities.

Who were the Black Panthers and what did they stand for?

The Black Panther Party was an African-American group for revolution, founded in 1966 in Oakland, California by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. The party’s original purpose was to patrol African American neighbourhoods to protect residents from acts of police brutality. The Panthers eventually developed into a Marxist* revolutionary group that called for the arming of all African Americans, the exemption of African Americans from being called into the army, the release of all African Americans from jail, and the payment of compensation to African Americans for centuries of exploitation by white Americans. At its peak in the late 1960s, Panther membership exceeded 2,000, and the organisation operated chapters in several major American cities. (* followers of the ideas of the philosopher Karl Marx)

THINK! Can you name any other civil rights groups from the USA in this period, or from elsewhere in this and other periods?

Key Figure: Bobby Seale Bobby Seale was a political activist who was a key player in the foundation of the Black Panther party in 1966 and served as party chairman. Unlike other contemporary members of the US Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, Seale preached a doctrine of Militant Black empowerment. That means he wanted Black people to fight for power. In 1969, Seale was charged with conspiracy to incite riots. He did not recognise the lawyer provided for him, refused to cooperate with the court and was eventually sentenced to four years in jail.

Huey P NewtonHuey P Newton was an American political activist and founded the Black Panther Party for Self Defense alongside Bobby Seale. In 1967 Newton was convicted of voluntary manslaughter (killing not called murder) of a police officer. This led to outrage amongst the black community and many protests were organised with the rallying cry ‘Free Huey’. In 1970 this conviction was overturned and Newton returned to his activism. He adopted a non-violent approach, providing social services to Black communities. He was later accused of a second murder and fled to Cuba for three years before returning to face the charges, these trials ended with no verdict.

What was the impact of the Black Panther Party?

Led by Seale and Newton, the Black Panther Party produced a newspaper between 1967-1976. From 1968-71 the Black Panther Newspaper was the most widely read Black newspaper in the United States with a weekly readership of more than 300,000. The paper's purpose was to distribute information about party activities and to connect members to community and consciousness raising projects.

The Black Panthers also instituted a variety of social programmes which were seen as a core activity of the party. This includes the Free Breakfast for Children programme in 1969. By the end of the year the Black Panther party was feeding over 10,000 children from impoverished inner-city areas all over the country. The party also introduced and ran community health clinics for education and the treatment of diseases that

predominantly affected the Black community, such as sickle cell anaemia, tuberculosis and later HIV/AIDS.

Over to you: Other key figures to consider would be Elaine Brown, Kathleen Neal Cleaver, Eldridge Cleaver, Fred Hampton.

THINK! Have you ever heard of any of these people? If not, why not? Why not research some of them? Teacher Notes

What is a slot in?A slot-in is a short story from the past that is rich in historical concepts. You can use a slot-in as part of a longer sequence, or as cover work, or in those moments when you need something short. A slot-in in an excellent way of adding diversity to your lessons.

Concept focus of this enquiry Some possible enquiry questions this topic could engage with:

- Was the Civil Rights Movement really focused on non-violence?- Was social change really achieved during the Civil Rights

Movement?- Was the Civil Rights Movement united in its aims?- Who were the Black Panthers and how were they different?

The Black Panther Party makes an excellent study of change and continuity in KS4 or 5The BPP is useful when looking at the social and political changes that took place within the Civil Rights Movement and whether they directly influenced these changes. It can also be linked to today with the Black Lives Matter movement which leads into a great enquiry focusing on what has actually changed since the BPP and the Civil Rights Movement and what has in fact remained the same. Looking more closely at race relations and police brutality towards African Americans and more globally BAME communities and how now it is seen more as a global movement rather than a US problem. Similarly, understanding the different historical interpretations of the Black Panther Party provides an excellent opportunity to discuss contemporary issues and incorporates citizenship and British values into lessons.

Misconceptions:A common misconception found is that many people believe that Malcolm X was a member or even a founder of the Black Panther Movement. This needs to be addressed and maybe an explanation of who Malcolm actually

was, and that the BPP used his speeches and teachings as part of their agenda rather than him being directly involved. He was in fact assassinated in 1965 and the BPP were founded the following year. His assassination was a catalyst for Bobby Seale’s and Huey Newton’s activism.

Another misconception is that the BPP were an overtly violent group. They openly carried weapons; legal in California. However, they very rarely used them; instead observing peacefully. The party's agenda stated they were about empowering Black communities and they were not “about guns” as quoted by Bobby Seale.

Lesson Ideas:- Comparison of Key Figures (treasure hunt)- Debate on effectiveness of BPP methods (verbal debate with clear

arguments)- Key differences between BPP and wider movement including Martin

Luther King Jr, Nation of Islam (whom they were often associated with) etc. (comparative source work)

- Comparison between BPP and BLM (Citizenship and Politics) (timeline work - chronology)

- Legacy of the BPP and lasting effects of the Civil Rights Movement (carousel)

Links to curriculum: Civil Rights Movement Black History Month Citizenship (BPP and BLM) Politics Social Change

Further reading:The Ten Point program of the Black Panther Party- https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/workers/black-panthers/1966/10/15.htm

The Black Panther Newspaper Archives- https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/black-panther/index.htm

The Trial of the Chicago 7 - Film featuring Bobby Seale and Fred Hampton. Shows the treatment of African Americans in an American court room.

Youtube ‘The Dawn of Black Power’ -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdpFKMbUv30&feature=youtu.be

5 things to Know about the Black Panther Party - USA Today- https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/02/01/black-panther-party-facts-black-history-month/79351632/

Written by: Jazmine HutchinsonTom Beetles