Who founded the Black Panther Party?

Answer 1

This is an academic site designed to provide information for individuals who want to locate primary and secondary sources about the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, the organization co-founded during October 1966 in Oakland, California by Bobby Seale and the late Dr. Huey P. Newton.

The Black Panther Party Research Project (BPPRP) was created during 1997 to locate sources and develop finding aids to assist researchers and the general public with uncovering information about one of the twentieth century's most controversial, yet least researched organizations.

The Black Panther Party (originally called the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was an African American organization founded to promote civil rights and self-defense. It was active within the United States in the late 1960s into the 1970s.

Founded in Oakland, California by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale in October 1966, the organization initially espoused a doctrine calling for armed resistance to societal oppression in the interest of African American justice, though its objectives and philosophy changed radically throughout the party's existence. While the organization's leaders passionately espoused socialist doctrine, the party's black nationalist reputation[1] attracted an ideologically diverse membership base, such that ideological consensus within the party was difficult to derive, and differing perspectives within the party base often clashed conspicuously with those of its leadership.

The group was founded on the principles of its Ten-Point Program, a document that called for "Land, Bread, Housing, Education, Clothing, Justice And Peace," as well as exemption from military service that would utilize African Americans to "fight and kill other people of color in the world who, like Black people, are being victimized by the White racist government of America."[2]

While firmly grounded in black nationalism and begun as an organization that accepted African American membership exclusively[3], the party reconsidered itself as it grew to national prominence and became an iconic representative of the counterculture revolutions of the 1960s. The Black Panthers ultimately condemned black nationalism as "black racism"[4], and became more focused on socialism without exclusivity, instituting a variety of community programs to alleviate poverty and illness among the communities it deemed most needful of aid, or most neglected by the American government. While the Party retained its all-black membership, it recognized that different communities (those it deemed oppressed by the American government) needed to organize around their own set of issues and encouraged alliances with these organizations.

The group's political goals are often overshadowed by its confrontational and even militaristic tactics[5], and their suspicious regard of law enforcement agents, whom the Black Panthers perceived as a linchpin of oppression that could only be overcome by a willingness to take up armed self-defense.

The Black Panther Party collapsed in the early 1970s, but party membership had actually started to decline during Huey Newton's 1968 manslaughter trial. There have been a variety of allegations as to the lengths to which law enforcement went in its attempts to discredit and destroy the organization, including allegations of assassination !!:-)

Answer 2

The Black Panther Party (originally called the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was an African American organization founded to promote civil rights and self-defense. It was active within the United States in the late 1960s into the 1970s.

Founded in Oakland, California by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale in October 1966, the organization initially espoused a doctrine calling for armed resistance to societal oppression in the interest of African American justice, though its objectives and philosophy changed radically throughout the party's existence. While the organization's leaders passionately espoused socialist doctrine, the party's black nationalist reputation attracted an ideologically diverse membership base, such that ideological consensus within the party was difficult to derive, and differing perspectives within the party base often clashed conspicuously with those of its leadership.

Answer 3

Huey Newton co-founded it with Bobby Seale. I give a LOT of more credit to Huey because the party was based on his beliefs and loose interpretations of Malcolm X's doctorines and speeches.

Huey was more the brains behind the party while other's spoke for him. If you've ever hear Huey's voice, you'd understand why.

To all of you who say Bobby Seales founded the party, I strongly disagree.

Answer 4

In October of 1966, in Oakland California, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale founded the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. The Panthers practiced militant self-defense of minority communities against the U.S. government, and fought to establish revolutionary socialism through mass organizing and community based programs. The party was one of the first organizations in U.S. history to militantly struggle for ethnic minority and working class emancipation — a party whose agenda was the revolutionary establishment of real economic, social, and political equality across gender and color lines.

Then,,,Malcom X happened,
"We declare our right on this earth...to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary."

Any means necessary turned out to be guns and bombs.


Here, he was absolutely correct,
"Without education, you're not going anywhere in this world."
"Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today."

Here his racism is showing,
"The common enemy is the white man."
"An integrated cup of coffee isn't sufficient pay for four hundred years of slave labor."

And here, he calls for jihad,
"It is a time for martyrs now, and if I am to be one, it will be for the cause of brotherhood. That's the only thing that can save this country."

I'm not saying that the Panthers and Malcom X did not have valid points, nor am I saying that everyone was/is treated fairly, I'm just pointing out that their method of choice was/is outside the parameters of proper change.

There is a whole boatload of quotations from MalcomX here:
http://www.malcolm-x.org/quotes.htm

Answer 5

Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale

Answer 6

Steve Irwin?

Answer 7

Seriously, have you ever heard of a search engine? It's this cool thing that helps you find information. Check it out, it's the newest thing since sliced bread.

Answer 8

B. Seales.

Answer 9

Bobby Seale




The Black Panther Party (BPP) was founded in October I966 by Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton, both student activists at Merritt Junior College in Oakland CA.

Influenced by the teachings of Malcolm X and the Black Power Movement, the BPP, originally called the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, called for the restructuring of American society to achieve social, political, and economic equality, based on principles of socialism.

The party platform consisted often points ("We want..."): 1. Freedom and Self-determination
2. Full employment for all Black people
3 Restitution for slave labor and mass murder of Black people
4. Decent housing
5. Education to give Black people knowledge of self and expose the true history of American society
6. Exemption from military service for all Black men who should not be forced to defend a racist government
7. An immediate end to police brutality
8. Release from prison for all Black people because they have not received a fair and impartial trial
9. All Black people who are brought to trial to be tried by a jury of their peers from the Black community
l0. Land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice and peace. As a major political objective, a United Nations supervised plebiscite for Black Americans to determine their will as to their national destiny.

The Black Panthers espoused the concept that Black people had a right to defend themselves against racist authorities by any necessary means, including violence. While this philosophy made them an alternative to more moderate civil rights groups of the time, it also put them constantly at odds with local police and the FBI. The Panthers initiated patrols in Black communities with the object of monitoring police activities and protecting people against police brutality. They also formed affiliations with some white activists because they believed that all revolutionary groups with similar goals of reforming American Society should unite.

The FBI launched a team called COINTELPRO to prevent Black militant groups from uniting and growing in influence. BPP local chapters were infiltrated by informants and their offices were subject to frequent raids. Panthers and police confronted each other in several shoot-outs in California, New York and Chicago.

Panthers Fred Hampton (Illinois State Leader) and Mark Clark were killed by police during a raid, and in 1967 Minister of Defense Huey Newton was sent to prison for manslaughter after a shootout in Oakland that left a policeman dead. His incarceration spurred a "Free Huey" movement and in 1971 a California Court of Appeals reversed his conviction.

There were also incidents of violence, which occurred between BPP members and suspected informants and other revolutionary groups. By the end of the 1960's, over 20 Panthers had been killed and others were in prison. A few, including Minister of Information, Eldridge Cleaver, who had put together the party newspaper and had run for President of the U.S. in 1968, fled the United States to avoid arrest.

After Newton's release he attempted to steer the Black Panthers away from confrontations with police and toward community programs to build support for the party. Among the most well known of the Panthers' social programs was the program which provided free breakfasts to children. In addition, the Panthers put programs in place to establish free medical clinics, give away free clothing and food, establish more community control of schools and police, organize rent strikes for tenants, and organize campaigns against drug abuse and crime. In 1973 Bobby Seale ran for the office of Mayor of Oakland. He did not win, but received about 40% of the vote.

By the mid- 1970's the party had declined as a political force. It had been weakened by various internal divisions as well as legal difficulties and constant efforts to fend off external attacks. Most of the founding members were gone, expelled from the party or had left voluntarily due to ideological differences or problems with law enforcement. Still, the Black Panther Party holds a unique place in history; their revolutionary methods and fervent in promoting their ideals have come to symbolize the turbulent 1960's, a time when American society had its eyes opened to many things.[]

Answer 10

I would say Malcolm X had a big part in that.