The Major Influence of the Black Panthers - Research Paper Example

? The Black Panthers – How they changed the civil Rights Era Introduction The Black Panthers have played major role in the political and social progression of United States. Black Panthers refer to the members of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense. It was among the initial US based organizations to militantly fight for minority rightsi. The black panthers occupy an important place in the history of the struggle of African American rights because they remain active for several years and gave new dimensions to the struggle of blacks. have notably practiced self-defense of the minority communities against the discriminating behavior of the government of the United States and have also struggled for the establishment of the revolutionary socialism through mass organization and community based programs and efforts. The party was based on the principle of assuring the existence of social, political and economic equality to all the people of the country regardless of their gender, race, social class and ethnicitiesii. The black panthers have also played vital role in the civil rights movement and their dedicated and well organized efforts have significantly changed the civil rights era by securing certain rights for the minority people living in United Statesiii. The following essay aims to discuss the contribution of the Black Panther during the civil rights movement and analyzes their efforts in the perspective of brining change in the society during the civil right era. In this regard, the essay presents concise overview of the Black Panther Party to provide the background explaining the vision, mission and purpose of establishment of the Black Panthers. The essay proceeds discussing the struggle exerted by the Black Panther that supported the civil rights movement and effectively worked for securing rights to the Blacks living in US by eradicating the biased and discriminating attitude of the ruling elite against them. The Black Panthers – background The Black Panther Party was founded in October 1966 in California. It was an African American leftist political organization. The founders of the party were Huey Newton and Bobby Seale. The party had great inspiration from Malcolm X that has the history of militantly fighting against the government for the sake of equality and self respect for the minorities. The vision of Malcolm was to reach a high dignity position by securing the due rights in the society and economy. His beliefs were widely followed by the black panthers and they set their party as a symbol of revolution seeking equality and justice for the minoritiesiv. The first official issue of the party was released in April 1967 that publicized several issues and information related with the party. In Many 1967, the members of the party decided to arrange a march on the California capital in order to record their protest against the decision of the state to outlaw carrying the loaded weapons in the public. The members were fully armed in the march in order to indicate that they are not going to accept this rule imposed by the state. The police responded to the march and arrested all the 30 armed members of the group present in the march. The policy of repression further motivated the party members and they continued their struggle with full momentumv. The aims and rules of the party were decided in form of ten point program decided by the original six members. Basically the party decided to follow 26 rules within their daily party work. The use of the drugs and alcohol by the party members was also regulated at party level and their actions and activities within the party were also regularly monitored. The rules also stress the members that they have complete understanding of the 10 points program that speak about the responsibilities of the leader and members of the party. The ten point program of Black Panther lists out the main motives of the black panthersvi. According to this program the Black Panther party basically seeks freedom and power that could work to determine the destiny of the blacks and other minority groups that are oppressed in the society. They demanded full employment for the members of the minority communities. The black panthers also clarified that they want the capitalist to step the economic exploitation of the blacks and other oppressed communities. They asked for descent housing where they could have shelter like the people of other communities have in the country. The black panthers also demanded education for their community members that could focus upon teaching the true history and role in the modern society. The free and complete healthcare provision to the blacks and other oppressed minorities was also demanded and they clarified that the policy brutality and murders of the blacks and minorities must be stop to end the oppression of the people. The ten points also call for ending the wars of aggression from the country and ask to set free all the blacks from the US jails through trails by jury. Finally they asked for bread, housing, education, clothing, peace, justice, land, water and the equal rights and control of the people in the societyvii. The party continued to expand across and the outside United Stated and the membership of the party significantly increased as the people of different minority groups found it great platform for putting their efforts for the preservation of their rights in organized manner. As the activities of the party expanded the essence of violence was also added to it because it was armed force and the members were alleged of killing other people for their own interests. In October 1967, the member of the party Huey Newton was arrested by the police with the charge of killing an Oakland cop. The party exerted all its efforts to set Huey free from the police custody and also spread its roots in to the national political spectrum by forming allies and coalitions with other revolutionary parties working in the country for the rights of the minority or low class people and workers. The members of the party commonly agreed to disallow the membership of the party to the Whites as they view them source of repression. They believe that if the white will join their party it will have negative effect and rather supporting the party goals, the whites will weaken their positionviii. The members raise the funds for purchasing shotguns for the members by selling Mao’s Red Book in the universities. The members were required to read the book for developing their concepts and thinking. In 1968, the government decided to launch program for letting down the revolutionary groups and FBI started the program COINTELPRO (counterintelligence program) that was basically aims to break the unity of the members of these groups. FBI went for surgical assassinations and killed the leading members of the party to weaken their influence. Along with the mass killing, the members of the party were widely arrested that were given the treatment of psychological warfare. FBI used the tools of chemical warfare, espionage and procedure to make the party weak and reduce the members and activities of its membersix. In 1969, the panthers initiated the program of Free Breakfast for school children at Oakland Church and then set up kitchens in different cities of the country where they make food for feeding the children before they go for school. It was declared at the government level that the black panthers are greatest threat to the security and internal stability of the country and for securing peaceful environment in United Stated it is very essential to break the party and stop their activities. However, the panther continued to gain sympathy and membership among the public through their different programs and strategies like door to door healthcare service provision and free medical centre etcx. The most influential program led by the black panthers was their armed citizen patrols on the roads in order to condemn the behavior of the police officers and the government against the minorities. The government continued its efforts to break the party through different tactics and plans however, despite all the ups and downs the party managed to survive and being operated over the decades. In 1980s the leadership of the party was smashed through mass killing and all the influential members were arrested and hunted down. In this way, the government decided to chop off the heads of the leaders of the black panther party but never got complete success because the young members were further motivate to carry on their struggle despite all the suppression and violent strategies of the government . However, there was lack of proper political guidance for them due to which they were more inclined towards violent acts. In 19802 the party was finally dissolved and this way the government successes to break the revolutionary party acting against itxi. How Black Panthers changed Civil Rights Era Throughout its years of operations, the Black Panther experienced great deal of violence, arrests and mass killing led by FBI in order to deactivate them. Despite the fact that they were strongly dealt by the government, the members of the Black Panther party managed to carry on their efforts as prominent revolutionary party of the country and they drew significant impact upon the political scenario of the country through their activities and efforts. They achieve national as well as international attention and impacts through their strategies and policies. They have deep involvement in the black power movement due to which it could be said that the political situation of United States during the 1960s and 1970s was considerable changed due to the activities of the Black panther partyxii. Despite the fact that were purely aimed at securing the rights and equality for the blacks their goal and motto were often overshadowed by their militant, violent and confrontational activities that they led especially against the police of the United States. The black panthers have drawn obvious impacts upon the civil right movement because their struggle was based on the thought that all the citizens of United States must be given freedom and equal social and economic facilities. They raised voice against racial based biasness and give momentum to the civil rights movement by raising voice for equality. The black panthers have played prominent role during the civil right era. The civil rights movement began in United States in 1955 and ended in 1968. The Black Panther officially stood for the preservation of their rights in 1966xiii. This was the time when the civil rights activists were in full momentum and using all their powers and capabilities to take part in the movement. The black panthers stood as the representative of the African Americans as well as other oppressed minorities and added the essence of violence in the civil right movement because they basically initiated their movement on armed basis and become one of the prominent organization that fight militantly for the preservation of their rights. In this way, they made the movement more violent and armed base as compared with the other parties involved in the movement. The black panthers become active party of the black power movement that enlarged the aims and objectives of the civil rights and demanded more specific rights and equality for the African Americans. Hence, it could be said that the black panthers worked for the continuation of the civil right movement by expanding it and spreading it across and outside United Statesxiv. Hence it could be said that the black panthers have very important role in the perspective of the civil right era because they evolved during the civil right war and acted as an important platform for the struggle of the minority communities. The existence of the black panthers by the end of the civil war movement was an indication that the blacks are not defeated and they are still enthusiastic and willing to support their demands at national and international levels. The activities of the Black Panther further told about the potential of the blacks and expose to the world that they could go towards any extreme level for securing their rights. They have no fear of death and detention and the government and authorities have to consider their demands of giving equal rights and freedom to the minority groupsxv. It is unveiled that the movement of the Black Panther was two facet. On one hand they were asking for good things like justice and equality in the society but on the other hand there were openly making use of guns. Their involvement in the violent activities puts big question mark upon their credibility because they adopted a harsh and violent approach towards securing their rights and demands. The violent attitude of the black panthers during the civil right era was the reflection of their thoughts and observations. They clarified through their activities and behaviours that they are not satisfied with the way the demands of the African Americans are addressed and given importance by the government and authorities. They realized that the peaceful struggle could earn nothing to them and the racial discrimination will continue in the society that will take their position at lower level so it is imperative for them to bring some major change in their strategy and policies. Hence, they decided to add violence and militant struggle to their movement and demonstrate to the government that they could even kill other people who are not ready to grant them their due rights. There were several people who were killed during the struggle of the black panthers including the members of the black panther party as well as policy and authorities. The mass killing of the party leaders was also committed by the authorities and ultimately several lives were come to end. In implies that the major change brought by the Black Panther in the civil rights era was the practice of violent strategies from both the sides. The lives of the people were given no importance and police and the black panthers openly use arms for proving their potential and strength. Due to this policy of the black panthers the government realized that it could not handle them without taking serious steps. Some demands of the blacks were granted as a result of their struggle whereas several demands remain unaddressed and the African Americans have to face further racial discrimination in the society under the label of violent and criminal nation having little respect for the human life and peace. The image of the African Americans was also badly affected due to the frequent use of arms by the black panthers. Conclusion The entire discussion could be sum up with the conclusion that the black panthers are great reality in the political history of United States. They have commenced eighteen years long struggle for the attainment of economic and social rights and equality for the African Americans. They also struggled for the rights of the other minorities that were commonly oppressed by the police and the government of the United States. The black panthers could be viewed as source of great changed occurred during the civil rights era because they began the organized armed struggle for their rights and added violence to the movement. The black panthers are often being criticized on the grounds that they use guns in all their activities due to which the country and people had to experience waves of mass killings and assassinations on both the sides. The black panthers paved the way towards the armed struggle and make the use of guns common for the African Americans. Their strategy not only changed the civil rights era but also draw long term impacts upon the society because the image of the African Americans was badly affected due to their armed struggle. The society developed stereotypical thinking about the Blacks that they always remain involved in unlawful and violent acts and prefer the use of arms openly for securing their demands. From this perspective it could be said that the black panthers have not only supported the rights of the blacks in the American society but they have also worked to make their image worst in front of the people. The activities of the Black Panther were widely observed and opposed by the people and they widely think that the African Americans are the violent people that are open towards the use of arms and violence for getting their demands accepted without giving importance to the life of the humans and peace of the society. References Austin, Curtis J. Up Against the Wall: Violence in the Making and Unmaking of the Black Panther Party (University of Arkansas Press, 2006), p98 Haas, Jeffrey. The Assassination of Fred Hampton: How The FBI and The Chicago - Police Murdered A Black Panther. (Chicago, IL: Chicago Review Press, 2010) Joseph, Peniel E. Waiting 'Til the Midnight Hour: a Narrative History of Black Power in America (Henry Holt and Company, 2006), p187 Newton, Huey P. War against the Panthers: A Study of Repression in America. (New York: Harlem River Press, 1996) Peniel, Joseph E. The Black Power Movement: Rethinking the Civil Rights-Black Power Era. (New York: Routledge, 2006) Phu, T. N. (2008). "Shooting the Movement: Black Panther Party Photography and African American Protest Traditions". Canadian Review of American Studies 38 (1): p165 Rhodes, Jane. Framing the Black Panthers: The Spectacular Rise of a Black Power Icon. (New York: New Press, 2007) Seale, Bobby. “Black Panther Party for Self Defense.” Afro American Journal (May 1968), p129-130 Shoop, J.G., “Gang warfare: legal battle pits personal liberty against public safety” Trial 34, (1998) p12 Shames, Stephen. The Black Panthers: Photographs by Stephen Shames, Foreword by Bobby Seale, Essay by Charles E. Jones. (New York: Aperture, 2006) Williams, Yohuru and Lazerow, Jama. In Search of the Black Panther Party: New Perspectives on a Revolutionary Movement (Duke University Press, 2006), p23 Witt, Andrew. The Black Panthers in the Midwest: The Community Programs and Services of the Black Panther Party in Milwaukee. (New York: Routledge, 2007) Read More