The Rise and fall of the Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party for Self defense was founded in 1966 in Oakland California by Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton. They both shared a common goal to promote civil rights and self defense among the black community. Newton and Seale were former members of the Revolutionary Action Movement, A group that was viewed as an extremely violent black militant group which conspired to blow up the statue of liberty, the liberty bell, and the Washington monument. The pair left the group in 1965 in search something that had a more meaningful purpose, shortly after leaving the Revolutionary Action Movement Newton and Seale formed the Black Panther Party for Self defense. With the death of Malcolm X in 1965 The Black Panther Party for Self defense saw a need for leadership among the black community and the civil rights movement.
The Black Panther Party Patrolled inner cities with shotguns and law books in hopes to discourage police brutality, this radical approach to civil rights made the Panthers very unpopular among mainstream America. That never stopped them from pursuing their goals of proper housing for blacks, employment of blacks, exemption of blacks from the military, and to stop police brutality and murder of blacks. The Panthers grew very fast among inner cities all across America. They never hesitated to shoot police officers and anyone else thought to be harming the black community. That violent approach made them targets of FBI investigations in order to bring the group down. Although viewed in a negative light by most of America because of their violent ways, the Panthers strived for equality for blacks and other oppressed groups of people in America.
The panthers raised money in order to open schools, medical centers, to start a free lunch program for students, and to teach self defense lessons in the ghettoes across America. They believe African Americans were deprived of proper education, and healthcare and this was their way of countering the oppression. The Panthers realized that poverty among the black community was directly linked to the lack of education among blacks, so they opened schools in inner cities that taught blacks reading, writing, and the real history of blacks and their contributions to American society. The BPP also developed a program that helped high school drop outs get their GED. At these schools they offered free meals to all students in the area. The BPP also knew the importance of having good healthcare and they knew most blacks could not afford good healthcare at the time, so they opened free medical clinics for poverty stricken people. At the Panthers clinics people could get their prescription medicine for free and basic care from a licensed physician. This was a major help to the working class of African Americans who normally couldn’t afford this type of healthcare. The Panthers also taught self defense and martial arts in the black communities. They knew that it would not only help blacks in defending themselves from police brutality and other racist attackers, but that it would also teach blacks self discipline. The BPP taught blacks physical hand to hand combat and also how to carry and discharge firearms. They believed the non violent approach attempted by Martin Luther King Jr. was not good enough, and in order for blacks to be liberated they must be feared and respected by White Americans.
The extreme tactics of the Black Panther Party quickly gained the attention of both white and black Americans. A lot of angry young black Americans desired to join the party and help fight for liberation, but the Panthers were disliked by law enforcement and politics all across America. Edgar Hoover called the Panthers the biggest threat to American society, and he assigned groups of FBI agents to dismember the group. Black Panther Party Headquarters were raided in Oakland, Los Angeles, Chicago and New Orleans. In all of the raids law enforcement never gave the Panthers a chance to surrender peacefully, but instead they surrounded the headquarters and opened fire for up to four hours and then shot tear gas inside the buildings and arrested the survivors. The Panthers that survived the police raids were given long jail sentences or life in prison. This quickly weakened the entire party. In 1968 the co-founder of the Black Panther Party Huey P. Newton was put on trail for the murder of an Oakland police officer. After Newton received life in prison, membership to the party started to decline rapidly. The Chicago branch leader Fred Hampton was also charged with the murder of a policeman. This caused other leaders of the party like Aldridge Cleaver and Stokley Carmichael to go into exile in countries like Algeria and New Guinea. The reminding members of the party turned from their violent ways and focused more on politics, but by the mid 1970’s the Black Panther Party had become non-existent in American society. Though few members remained the BPP didn’t have same effect on young black Americans as its original members.
In 1991 former Nation of Islam members Khalid Abdul Muhammad, and Malik Zulu Shabazz founded the New Black Panther Party for Self Defense. The New Party disregaurded the original Panthers belief in the unity of all colored people and focused strictly on blacks all across the world. The New Panthers are considered to be extremely racist and anti-semitic. Dr.David Hilliard an origianal Panther stated, “ they hijacked our name and now they are hijacking our history, the racism that this group espouses flies directly in the face of the Black Panthers multicultural ideology and purpose.” The new Panthers leader Malik Zulu Shabazz believes that the Panther name belongs to the people and not the few indivuals who started t he movement. Members of the original Panthers do not want to be associated with the new Panthers, because of their hatred of jews and white people everywhere. The new Panthers are spreading a message that Jewish people are the biggest exploiters of blacks worldwide. They believe that the nation of Israel is working with the U.S. to strong arm the Gaza strip from its original Palestinain inhabitants. This type of hatred has overshadowed the original message of the Panthers which was black pride and consciousness. The original Black Panther Party has made numerous attempts to sue the New Black Panther Party in order to keep them from using and defiling their name, all of those attempts have failed. Although the new Black Panther Party is not nearly as popular as its original group they still have a vast number of followers worldwide.
The original Black Panther party was around for about 15 years, but in that short amount of time they have implemented programs and ideas that are still apart of American society. For instance, the WIC(Women Infants & Children) program was created by the panthers in order to provide mothers with milk and other essential nutriants needed to raise healthy children. This program is still availible to low income famalies all across America. Other programs like free meals for poor students are offered at most public schools. The Panthers taught blacks to stand up for their rights by any means neccesary. A famous quote from Huey P. Newton sums it up best, he stated, “I would rather die on my feet, than live on my knees.”His willingness to die for what he believed in shows the passion the original Panthers had to make a change in the world.
Wednesday
Education was always a top priority among the BPP leadership and organization. For decades the true history of African Americans and the role they played in the making of the U.S. was not taught in schools and colleges. The BPP demanded that true history and standard education be made available to all African Americans to enable them to participate as equals in society. The BPP was fully aware that education and the position of any African American in society was inter related. The BPP in its various educational program stressed the need to attain educational standards and towards this end trained its leadership to be good educationists.
The BPP left a legacy of good leaders, teachers, business people, and other professional people within the African American population all over the U.S. The Vietnam war played an important role in the philosophy of the BPP. Many young African women and men were called to serve the Armed Forces and did not want to go to war. The prevailing thought of the day was that the African men and women were contributing to the racist White community by fighting and killing people of color. The BPP did not want any of its members and the general African American population to participate in any war that encouraged racism.
On the other hand the BPP made it very clear to the local police and other law enforcement agencies that they would defend the mutual interests of all African Americans and the BPP by any means necessary. This meant if worse came to worse they would defend themselves by using force. This element of force to defend themselves was displayed again and again all over the country. For example on December 8, 1969 the Los Angles Police Department¹s newly initiated Special Weapons and Tactics Unit (SWAT) led an assault on the Los Angeles Panther Office Central Avenue. The BPP, some 15 persons held their ground for more than 4 hours surrounded by over 300 police force. The BP Panthers suffered minor wounds and all charges were dropped against the BPP. Similar raids by the LE in Chicago and other parts of the country, rallied all members of the African American community.
Again and again the self defense training provided by the leaders of the BPP proved to hold their ground against the best LE all over the country. The second amendment guarantees all Americans to bear arms. The BPP pointed out to the Constitution as their right to bear arms, so that they could defend themselves. The BPP called upon the police to end police brutality in all black communities. As we have discussed before the BPP always maintained good standard training in self defense and as such members of the BPP could and did always hold their ground.
Thousands of black men and women were held in jails all over the country. Most of these men and women came before juries that were all White and were sent to long jail terms. The BPP demanded that juries be composed of African Americans and that those imprisoned be released because they did not receive a fair and impartial trial.
The BPP left a legacy of good leaders, teachers, business people, and other professional people within the African American population all over the U.S. The Vietnam war played an important role in the philosophy of the BPP. Many young African women and men were called to serve the Armed Forces and did not want to go to war. The prevailing thought of the day was that the African men and women were contributing to the racist White community by fighting and killing people of color. The BPP did not want any of its members and the general African American population to participate in any war that encouraged racism.
On the other hand the BPP made it very clear to the local police and other law enforcement agencies that they would defend the mutual interests of all African Americans and the BPP by any means necessary. This meant if worse came to worse they would defend themselves by using force. This element of force to defend themselves was displayed again and again all over the country. For example on December 8, 1969 the Los Angles Police Department¹s newly initiated Special Weapons and Tactics Unit (SWAT) led an assault on the Los Angeles Panther Office Central Avenue. The BPP, some 15 persons held their ground for more than 4 hours surrounded by over 300 police force. The BP Panthers suffered minor wounds and all charges were dropped against the BPP. Similar raids by the LE in Chicago and other parts of the country, rallied all members of the African American community.
Again and again the self defense training provided by the leaders of the BPP proved to hold their ground against the best LE all over the country. The second amendment guarantees all Americans to bear arms. The BPP pointed out to the Constitution as their right to bear arms, so that they could defend themselves. The BPP called upon the police to end police brutality in all black communities. As we have discussed before the BPP always maintained good standard training in self defense and as such members of the BPP could and did always hold their ground.
Thousands of black men and women were held in jails all over the country. Most of these men and women came before juries that were all White and were sent to long jail terms. The BPP demanded that juries be composed of African Americans and that those imprisoned be released because they did not receive a fair and impartial trial.
Tuesday
Outline
I. intorduction: give detailed background information on the start of the party and their goals and views
Thesis: although viewed in a negitive light by most of america the black panther party strived for eqaulity for blacks and any other oprresed group of people.
II.body topic #1:The black panther party"s schools, free lunch program, and sefl- defense lessons
III.body topic #2:the black panther party's political prisoners and murder victims and how the party fell.
IV. body topic #3: The new black panther party and how they differ from the original group
V. conclusion: describe the effect of the black panther party on america.
Thesis: although viewed in a negitive light by most of america the black panther party strived for eqaulity for blacks and any other oprresed group of people.
II.body topic #1:The black panther party"s schools, free lunch program, and sefl- defense lessons
III.body topic #2:the black panther party's political prisoners and murder victims and how the party fell.
IV. body topic #3: The new black panther party and how they differ from the original group
V. conclusion: describe the effect of the black panther party on america.
Original Panthers Respond
Several members of the original Panthers have condemned the NBPP's racism and anti-Semitism. Bobby Seale, co-founder of the original Panthers, believes that the New Panthers have "hijacked our name and are hijacking our history." David Hilliard, a former original Panther and executive director of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation, said that the New Panthers "totally abandoned our survival programs." He also said that the racism that the group "espouse(s) flies directly in the face of the Black Panthers' multicultural ideology and purpose."
Still, Malik Shabazz claims that "our position is the Panther exclusively belongs to no one. It belongs to the people." According to Shabazz, the original Panthers "are really working with the Zionists. I think their lawyer is one. I think they are being used by outside forces to keep alive the counterintelligence program of the F.B.I. and the U.S. governConclusion
By feeding off of the nostalgia for, and presenting itself in the image of, the original Panthers, the New Black Panther Party for Self Defense has been able to survive the death of its most controversial leader and maintain its influence in the black community. While the NBPP still attracts some followers under the guise of championing the causes of black empowerment and civil rights, its record of racism and anti-Semitism has overshadowed any of its efforts to promote black pride and consciousness. ment, creating divisions and factions among black organizations."
Several members of the original Panthers have condemned the NBPP's racism and anti-Semitism. Bobby Seale, co-founder of the original Panthers, believes that the New Panthers have "hijacked our name and are hijacking our history." David Hilliard, a former original Panther and executive director of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation, said that the New Panthers "totally abandoned our survival programs." He also said that the racism that the group "espouse(s) flies directly in the face of the Black Panthers' multicultural ideology and purpose."
Still, Malik Shabazz claims that "our position is the Panther exclusively belongs to no one. It belongs to the people." According to Shabazz, the original Panthers "are really working with the Zionists. I think their lawyer is one. I think they are being used by outside forces to keep alive the counterintelligence program of the F.B.I. and the U.S. governConclusion
By feeding off of the nostalgia for, and presenting itself in the image of, the original Panthers, the New Black Panther Party for Self Defense has been able to survive the death of its most controversial leader and maintain its influence in the black community. While the NBPP still attracts some followers under the guise of championing the causes of black empowerment and civil rights, its record of racism and anti-Semitism has overshadowed any of its efforts to promote black pride and consciousness. ment, creating divisions and factions among black organizations."
In May of 1970, the Louisiana State Chapter of the Black Panther Party was established in New Orleans. (It was then called the National Committee to Combat Fascism.) After functioning at 2352 Saint Thomas Street for a short period, serving the People with survival programs, such as a liberation school for the youth and a free lunch program, and also holding community political education classes in order to make the people aware of what the Party was all about, an unexplained eviction notice was issued to the Party. This notice was issued by a racist judge who owned the house and a bootlicker handling its realty who both conspired, along with other reactionary forces, to destroy the Party, before it could begin.When the local news media received word of the eviction of the Panthers, they quickly created a questionnaire to circulate through New Orleans, asking the "provocative question" as to whether there would be a confrontation between the Party and the New Orleans Pig Department. The Party, having already decided to move, for the simple reason that the house was too small, took the matter to court, while trying to find a new house. The reactionary press had already previously published the raving statements of racist Louisiana Governor McKeithen to the effect that Louisiana and New Orleans would not tolerate the existence of the Black Panther Party in their city and state: "We will not let the Panthers get off the ground in this city."
Although hundreds of threats of this same nature were received from racist vigilante groups, specifically the Ku Klux Klan, and from various enforcement agencies throughout the State, in July of 1970, another house was rented by the Party on Piety Street. This house was located across from the infamously over-crowded and indecent Desire Housing Project, population estimated at over twenty thousand people, all of whom are Black. The very first day this headquarters opened, while it was being cleaned in preparation for its opening, the New Orleans Pig Intelligence Division drove around the area constantly, filming all sides of the house. And, after only three weeks in the Piety Street office, another eviction notice was received, this one coming from the owner of the house, a man named Broussaud.
He had been coerced by pigs to evict the Panthers. Broussaud owned a near-by grocery store, also on Piety Street, and the people in the community were therefore familiar with his ways. For example, although he is a Black man, Broussaud at one time used a natural disaster, a hurricane, to raise the prices of items in his store, when practically all stores in the area had been forced to close. This was particularly difficult on the poor people of the Desire Projects. With this in mind, and since two months rent had been paid in advance, and because the people in the Desire community wanted the Party to stay, the decision was made to remain right there.
Then, on September 14th (1970), a week before the eviction notice stated was the final date of occupancy, there was a community political class in which it was exposed to the people there that two Black men working for the police department had attempted to infiltrate the community. The people being very angered at having discovered this devious plot to destroy the community dealt with them immediately in the streets. Somehow, still unexplained, these pigs managed to escape the community with wounds that the people had inflicted upon them. The next morning Pig Chief Giarusso of New Orleans along with fascist Mayor Moon Landrieu, in disbelief of the People's intelligence to discover their agents in the Black community and wishing to carry out their long-standing threat, announced over the news media that they would raid Panther Headquarters that morning. They stated that all persons residing in the Piety Street area would have to be evacuated.
As their "legal" excuse for this blatant action, the fascists alleged to have arrest warrants for six people in the office, who were supposed to have shot into a pig car the night of September 14th, wounding a pig named Raymond Reed. No warrant was presented. Instead, the pigs fired into the office for approximately 30 minutes, using such war machinery as machineguns of various sorts, armored vehicles and helicopters. Some twenty or more people from the community were shot and wounded that morning. And, thirteen people from the Black Panther Party were arrested: Charles Scott, Tyrone Edwards, Alton Edwards, Donald Gyton, William Cloud, Isaac Edwards, Milton Martin, Ronald Ailsworth, Leroy Jones, Elaine Young, Leah Hodges and Cathy Bourns. A fourteenth person was a brother not a member of the Party, but who could not even get out of the house because of the heavy gun fire. His name is Jerry Tylor. All were charged with attempted murder; some, with criminal anarchy; others, with aggravated battery and federal gun violation. Their ransom was set at $100,000 each. Later, more people were arrested on warrants stemming from the accusations of the two black pig infiltrators, Melvin Howard and Israel Fields. Among those arrested shortly after this raid were Ernest Touro, Clarence Jones and Alfred McCoy (who was just sentenced to 5 years at Louisiana's Angola State Penitentiary for aggravated battery upon these two black pigs.).
Soon after this attack, on September 16th, New Orleans pigs murdered Kenneth Borden, directly in front of Broussaud's grocery store. According to the pigs, a crowd of people had gathered allegedly to fire-bomb Broussaud's store. There was gun fire out of Broussaud's store and also from the guns of pigs who arrived on the scene, shooting indiscriminately at everything in sight. As a result, Kenneth Borden was murdered. The very next day after the raid on the office, the remaining members of the Party, along with the people in the community moved into the other side of the building on Piety Street, to re-open the office. And, three weeks later, the Party office was moved into the Desire Housing Project, and the Party began to again function as usual. The bail of the fourteen brothers and sisters arrested was lowered. However, when people in the community tried to pay bail for one of these political prisoners, by paying 10% of the total ransom to a bail bondsman, it was discovered that no bonding company in the whole State would accept the money. This still did not stay the hard work of the community and the Party to fight for the rights and freedom of the People.
The pigs became therefore even more worried, especially since the office was now located inside the Desire Projects, surrounded by Black people who had become very aware of how repressive and fascist the New Orleans Police Department was, and who had stepped up their desire to resist.
Still trying to get rid of the Party, once again the pigs had another eviction notice sent, charging the occupants of Desire Project House #3315, the Black Panther Party office, were violating a criminal trespassing law and had to leave. The members of the Party passed out a petition in the community and the people willingly signed it. The petition asked for the consent of the people who live in the community for the Party to stay in the Desire Projects. And, the permission was granted by the people. A contradiction arose, because the Housing Authority in New Orleans said that the Party would have to leave because, they claimed, no rent had been paid; but, in fact, these pigs had refused the money. So again a confrontation between the Party and the reactionary New Orleans forces was anticipated on any day. And, on the morning of November 19th, approximately 600 pigs, in armored vehicles (new ones having been recently bought by the New Orleans Pig Department), moved in to assault the office in the projects.
Three to five thousand Black people, men and women old and young, stood between the pigs and the office demanding that the fascists leave their community immediately. The fascists frustrated themselves trying to get the people to leave, but the people continued demanding they withdraw from the community. Finally, after four hours, they retreated. It was the only thing they could do in the face of the power of the People. And the People sang and danced in the streets. The trespassing case was taken to the Federal Courts to await a decision by a judge.
Later on that month (November, 1970), George Russell and Harold Holmes, members of the Party, along with 25 other people from the community, left to go to the People's Revolutionary Constitutional Convention in Washington, D.C. Before having hardly left, they were arrested by heavily armed members of the New Orleans Pig Department. Harold Holmes was charged with criminal anarchy and criminal trespassing; George Russell was charged with criminal trespassing, criminal anarchy and criminal property damage. And. on the morning of November 26th, at 1:30 a.m., members of the New Orleans Pig Department, numbering approximately 50, donned the uniforms of priests and U.S. Postal workers, thereby gaining entrance to the doors of the Desire Project address which was the office of the Louisiana State Chapter of the Black Panther Party. They shot one member of the Party, Betty Powell, in the chest, and arrested a total of six people. The six arrested were: Godthea Cooper, Leon Lewis, Marshall Kellen, Odell Brown, Larry Jackson, and Betty Powell. All were charged with attempted murder and violation of the federal fire arms act. These brothers and sisters are presently incarcerated in the Orleans Parish Prison, awaiting trial.
The conspiracy plot by New Orleans Ku Klux Klan Mayor Landrieu and Police Chief Giarusso and the whole Mafioso State of Louisiana is not completed. It is presently only moving from the streets to the fascist Louisiana judicial system: The trial of those first fourteen members arrested is scheduled to begin on June 21, 1971.
Although hundreds of threats of this same nature were received from racist vigilante groups, specifically the Ku Klux Klan, and from various enforcement agencies throughout the State, in July of 1970, another house was rented by the Party on Piety Street. This house was located across from the infamously over-crowded and indecent Desire Housing Project, population estimated at over twenty thousand people, all of whom are Black. The very first day this headquarters opened, while it was being cleaned in preparation for its opening, the New Orleans Pig Intelligence Division drove around the area constantly, filming all sides of the house. And, after only three weeks in the Piety Street office, another eviction notice was received, this one coming from the owner of the house, a man named Broussaud.
He had been coerced by pigs to evict the Panthers. Broussaud owned a near-by grocery store, also on Piety Street, and the people in the community were therefore familiar with his ways. For example, although he is a Black man, Broussaud at one time used a natural disaster, a hurricane, to raise the prices of items in his store, when practically all stores in the area had been forced to close. This was particularly difficult on the poor people of the Desire Projects. With this in mind, and since two months rent had been paid in advance, and because the people in the Desire community wanted the Party to stay, the decision was made to remain right there.
Then, on September 14th (1970), a week before the eviction notice stated was the final date of occupancy, there was a community political class in which it was exposed to the people there that two Black men working for the police department had attempted to infiltrate the community. The people being very angered at having discovered this devious plot to destroy the community dealt with them immediately in the streets. Somehow, still unexplained, these pigs managed to escape the community with wounds that the people had inflicted upon them. The next morning Pig Chief Giarusso of New Orleans along with fascist Mayor Moon Landrieu, in disbelief of the People's intelligence to discover their agents in the Black community and wishing to carry out their long-standing threat, announced over the news media that they would raid Panther Headquarters that morning. They stated that all persons residing in the Piety Street area would have to be evacuated.
As their "legal" excuse for this blatant action, the fascists alleged to have arrest warrants for six people in the office, who were supposed to have shot into a pig car the night of September 14th, wounding a pig named Raymond Reed. No warrant was presented. Instead, the pigs fired into the office for approximately 30 minutes, using such war machinery as machineguns of various sorts, armored vehicles and helicopters. Some twenty or more people from the community were shot and wounded that morning. And, thirteen people from the Black Panther Party were arrested: Charles Scott, Tyrone Edwards, Alton Edwards, Donald Gyton, William Cloud, Isaac Edwards, Milton Martin, Ronald Ailsworth, Leroy Jones, Elaine Young, Leah Hodges and Cathy Bourns. A fourteenth person was a brother not a member of the Party, but who could not even get out of the house because of the heavy gun fire. His name is Jerry Tylor. All were charged with attempted murder; some, with criminal anarchy; others, with aggravated battery and federal gun violation. Their ransom was set at $100,000 each. Later, more people were arrested on warrants stemming from the accusations of the two black pig infiltrators, Melvin Howard and Israel Fields. Among those arrested shortly after this raid were Ernest Touro, Clarence Jones and Alfred McCoy (who was just sentenced to 5 years at Louisiana's Angola State Penitentiary for aggravated battery upon these two black pigs.).
Soon after this attack, on September 16th, New Orleans pigs murdered Kenneth Borden, directly in front of Broussaud's grocery store. According to the pigs, a crowd of people had gathered allegedly to fire-bomb Broussaud's store. There was gun fire out of Broussaud's store and also from the guns of pigs who arrived on the scene, shooting indiscriminately at everything in sight. As a result, Kenneth Borden was murdered. The very next day after the raid on the office, the remaining members of the Party, along with the people in the community moved into the other side of the building on Piety Street, to re-open the office. And, three weeks later, the Party office was moved into the Desire Housing Project, and the Party began to again function as usual. The bail of the fourteen brothers and sisters arrested was lowered. However, when people in the community tried to pay bail for one of these political prisoners, by paying 10% of the total ransom to a bail bondsman, it was discovered that no bonding company in the whole State would accept the money. This still did not stay the hard work of the community and the Party to fight for the rights and freedom of the People.
The pigs became therefore even more worried, especially since the office was now located inside the Desire Projects, surrounded by Black people who had become very aware of how repressive and fascist the New Orleans Police Department was, and who had stepped up their desire to resist.
Still trying to get rid of the Party, once again the pigs had another eviction notice sent, charging the occupants of Desire Project House #3315, the Black Panther Party office, were violating a criminal trespassing law and had to leave. The members of the Party passed out a petition in the community and the people willingly signed it. The petition asked for the consent of the people who live in the community for the Party to stay in the Desire Projects. And, the permission was granted by the people. A contradiction arose, because the Housing Authority in New Orleans said that the Party would have to leave because, they claimed, no rent had been paid; but, in fact, these pigs had refused the money. So again a confrontation between the Party and the reactionary New Orleans forces was anticipated on any day. And, on the morning of November 19th, approximately 600 pigs, in armored vehicles (new ones having been recently bought by the New Orleans Pig Department), moved in to assault the office in the projects.
Three to five thousand Black people, men and women old and young, stood between the pigs and the office demanding that the fascists leave their community immediately. The fascists frustrated themselves trying to get the people to leave, but the people continued demanding they withdraw from the community. Finally, after four hours, they retreated. It was the only thing they could do in the face of the power of the People. And the People sang and danced in the streets. The trespassing case was taken to the Federal Courts to await a decision by a judge.
Later on that month (November, 1970), George Russell and Harold Holmes, members of the Party, along with 25 other people from the community, left to go to the People's Revolutionary Constitutional Convention in Washington, D.C. Before having hardly left, they were arrested by heavily armed members of the New Orleans Pig Department. Harold Holmes was charged with criminal anarchy and criminal trespassing; George Russell was charged with criminal trespassing, criminal anarchy and criminal property damage. And. on the morning of November 26th, at 1:30 a.m., members of the New Orleans Pig Department, numbering approximately 50, donned the uniforms of priests and U.S. Postal workers, thereby gaining entrance to the doors of the Desire Project address which was the office of the Louisiana State Chapter of the Black Panther Party. They shot one member of the Party, Betty Powell, in the chest, and arrested a total of six people. The six arrested were: Godthea Cooper, Leon Lewis, Marshall Kellen, Odell Brown, Larry Jackson, and Betty Powell. All were charged with attempted murder and violation of the federal fire arms act. These brothers and sisters are presently incarcerated in the Orleans Parish Prison, awaiting trial.
The conspiracy plot by New Orleans Ku Klux Klan Mayor Landrieu and Police Chief Giarusso and the whole Mafioso State of Louisiana is not completed. It is presently only moving from the streets to the fascist Louisiana judicial system: The trial of those first fourteen members arrested is scheduled to begin on June 21, 1971.
The Black Panther Party is the organization that best symbolizes Black Power. Formed in 1966 in Oakland, California by Bobby Seale and Huey Newton. Brought up from the hopelessness and anger of the ghetto life. The Black Panthers main reason for establishment was to have self-defense. They proclaimed themselves the protectors of ghetto blacks against police brutality. The Black Panthers initially patrolled the black ghetto areas with guns and law books to protect blacks from police harassment. At the same time, they provided free breakfast, opened schools, and medical clinics for their neighborhoods. Conflicts between Black Panthers and police in the late 1960s and early 1970s led to shoot outs in California, New York, and Chicago. One of these shoot outs resulted in Newton's going to prison for the murder of a patrolman.( 1 ) The Panthers, were overwhelmed by the thousands of young blacks, coast to coast wanting to join. However, inflammatory rhetoric not only made the Panthers attractive to angry young blacks, but it also made the organization a target for FBI surveillance and police persecution. Across the nation, police raids on Black Panther headquarters were frequent and bloody, and the ranks of the party were decimated by police bullets or imprisonment. By the mid-1970s, the Panthers leadership had been decimated by prison sentences (Huey Newton in Oakland), police killings (Fred Hampton in Chicago), exile (Eldridge Cleaver in Algeria)and the revolution of opinion toward pan-Africanism (Stanlev Carmicheal in Guinea) ( 2 )
Having lost members and fallen out of favor with many American black leaders, who objected to the party's method. The Panthers turned from violence to concentrate on conventional politics and on providing social services in black neighbor hoods. The party was effectively disbanded by the early 1980s. Black Panther beliefs and reasons for their actions and existence is what makes the Panthers such a unique organization from other Black Power Par-ties. Huey Newton said it best "We stand for the transformation of the decadent, reactionary, racist system, that exists at these time...We don't like the system."
Because of their insistence to arm themselves and have frequent clashes with police, Newton explained that the Panthers assumed a defense "against violence to ultimately resolve and beget violence." Huev let it to be known that the Panthers didn't believe in the American political process because "electoral politics is bankrupt and cannot solve the problems of poverty, racism, and oppression"( 3 ) The Black Panther Party Platform and Program answers what they want and what they believed:
Having lost members and fallen out of favor with many American black leaders, who objected to the party's method. The Panthers turned from violence to concentrate on conventional politics and on providing social services in black neighbor hoods. The party was effectively disbanded by the early 1980s. Black Panther beliefs and reasons for their actions and existence is what makes the Panthers such a unique organization from other Black Power Par-ties. Huey Newton said it best "We stand for the transformation of the decadent, reactionary, racist system, that exists at these time...We don't like the system."
Because of their insistence to arm themselves and have frequent clashes with police, Newton explained that the Panthers assumed a defense "against violence to ultimately resolve and beget violence." Huev let it to be known that the Panthers didn't believe in the American political process because "electoral politics is bankrupt and cannot solve the problems of poverty, racism, and oppression"( 3 ) The Black Panther Party Platform and Program answers what they want and what they believed:
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