the black panther movement

• the black panthers were one of the largest black power groups, one of the most feared and, in their own view, one of the most misunderstood
• they were set up in california in october 1966, and attracted media attention when they went to the state capitol in sacramento carrying guns, to protest against a proposed law to stop people openly carrying guns
• the sight of the armed black men in the state capitol made the news, and the panther movement took off
• the panthers believed that white officials and police were not supporting black communities, and said black people needed black officials and police who would work for the community
• unlike many other black power groups, they were willing to work with white people who shared their beliefs
• they originally called themselves 'the black panther party for self dfence', and each group had their own version of the 'ten point programme', alongside their own version of the panther 'uniform': black beret, black trousers and black leather jacket
• most black panther groups saw themselves as the police and social workers that their black communities needed but did not have
• the black panthers patrolled the streets in black communities to keep them safe
• the black panthers worked to create 'rainbow coalitions' to encourage cooperation between non-white city gangs that usually fought each other
• the black panthers controlled the traffic around schools with no pedestrian crossings, where children were regularly hit by cars
• the black panthers continually pressed local white government officials to provide street lighting, pedestrian crossings and various kinds of aid for ghetto communities
• the black panthers ran courses on black history and citizens' rights
• the black panthers carried guns for self-defence and tape recorders so they could tape police harrassment
• the black panthers organised medical clinics and provided free shoes for poor black people
• the black panthers ran breakfast clubs for poor black children before school
• the panthers did, at a local level, help to improve living conditions in ghetto communities
• their health clinics and breakfast clubs were particularly successful, and improved the lives of many black americans, however there was another side to what they did
• the money they raised for their welfare projects came mostly from black businesses, but not all of these businesses contributed willingly, and some panthers were arrested for robbing banks to fund their projects
• their policing of the streets was, for many groups, as much about provoking to police and engaging in shoot-outs as it was about policing the community
• in july 1967, california passed a law that made it illegal to carry guns in public places
• one of the leaders was badly wounded at a shoot-out with the police in october and charged with murder
• the panthers concentrated on a campaign to 'free huey' and the publicity led to many more people joining the panthers
• by late 1968, there were 25 cities with panther groups and many more panther members across the country, but even so, there was never more than about 2,000 panthers