Black Panther Party Essay, Research Paper

Black Panther Party

In 1966 two men started an organization called the Black Panther Party (BPP). The BPP was founded by Huey Norton and Bobby Seale. The first time BPP attracted attention was May 1967. The FBI blamed the BPP for riots and other violence.

Huey Newton and Bobby Seale founded the BPP in Oakland, California October 1966. Newton and Seale expressed their goals in a 10 point platform that demanded, employment, freedom of blacks from the military service, and an end to police brutality. They summarized this in a point: We want land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice, and peace. The BPP was an organization is for black self defense and restructuring the American society.

In may 1967 the BPP protested a bill to outlaw carrying loaded weapons in public. Reporters gathered around the group when marched on the California state capital in Sacramento armed with weapons and wearing the party s distinct black leather jackets and black berets. After Seale read the statement police arrested him and 30 others. The news coverage of this traveled and attracted new recruits and lead to form branches of the BPP nation wide.

As racial tension increased around the country the FBI blamed the BPP for riots and other violent acts. The FBI launched a program Called COINTELPRO (short for Counterintelligence program) designed to obstruct efforts to unify black militant groups such as SNCC,BPP,and FBI agents sent threatening letters to Panthers.

I feel that the BPP was right to try to do right for blacks and stop racial things against blacks. The FBI was wrong to blame everything on the BPP and other racial groups, and certainly wrong to kill people in the process.

Works Sighted

1998 encarta Key word Black Panthers

T. V Channel Three, Elaine Brown was speaking

www.Black Panthers.com Yahoo