a look at the black panther party

8/17/2019 A Look at the Black Panther Party

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A Look at the Black Panther Party and its Goal of Black LiberationA Synthesis of Race and Class:

by Jorge and JT (N!AC"Boston#

$n bringing abo%t radical social change &herein lies the re'ol%tionary otential of a eole) $s the racial*national condition of ri+ary i+ortance) ,r is class and therelation to the +eans of rod%ction the g%iding rincile of a eole in re'olt) Arerace and class +%t%ally e-cl%si'e) $s nationalis+ al&ays reactionary and bo%rgeois.or can re'ol%tionary nationalis+ e-ist)

These and si+ilar /%estions co+e abo%t &hen disc%ssing the legacy of the BlackPanther Party. its olitical latfor+. ideology and its ositions on race and class01any critics. esecially of 1ar-ist tendencies. ha'e /%estioned the re'ol%tionarycharacter and otential of the BPP gi'en its nationalist and race"secific beliefs0

The $nternational 2orking+an3s Association (or !irst $nternational# declared: 4thee+anciation of the &orking class +%st be the &ork of the &orkers the+sel'es04 Thelogic is i+licit: the liberation of a gi'en gro% +%st occ%r fro+ &ithin0 A risoner inorder to be free +%st first and fore+ost %nderstand that they are a risoner5 they +%stsho& a &illingness to free the+sel'es0 That the &arden &ill free the risoner is asridic%lo%s and %nlikely as the rosect of the bo%rgeoisie e+anciating the &orkingclass0

Th%s. in ,ctober 6788 the Black Panther Party for+ed follo&ing the sa+e logic0 Thisti+e ho&e'er. the targeted a%dience &as not the orthodo- 1ar-ist re'ol%tionarys%b9ect: the ind%strial roletariat. b%t instead the Black o%lation of the nitedStates0 The first oint of the arty3s ten"oint rogra+ states: 42e belie'e that black

eole &ill not be free %ntil &e are able to deter+ine o%r destiny04 $t &as ob'io%s to;%ey Ne&ton and Bobby Seale. the arty3s co"fo%nders. that Black liberation &o%ldnot only occ%r fro+ &ithin the Black o%lation b%t also and +ore i+ortantly thatBlack liberation &o%ld be defined in Black ter+s. and not e-cl%si'ely. or e'ennecessarily. in 1ar-ist and other non"Black idio+s0 $n this sirit. Re'ol%tionary Black

Nationalis+ beca+e the BPP3s g%iding rincile and fo%nding ideology0

T;,RT$CAL BAC


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Nationalis+. as oosed to traditional bo%rgeois*&hite nationalis+. therefore isdialectically ro'en to be re'ol%tionary0

$t &o%ld be %nfair to obser'e the Black Panther Party3s ideology and olitical latfor+solely thro%gh a 1ar-ist scoe. ho&e'er0 After all. the arty itself dre& fro+ other

schools of tho%ght. secifically the anti"colonialist 'ie&s of !anon0

=ra&ing fro+ !anon. ;%ey Ne&ton th%s e-lains the circ%+stance of Blacks in thenited States to colonies in his Re'ol%tionary S%icide: 4C%t off. ignored. andforgotten. the eole are ket in a state of s%b9%gation. esecially by the olice. &hotreat the co++%nities like colonies04

The re'ol%tionary rogra+ in !anonist ter+s. altho%gh co+arable to 1ar-3s call fora &orkers3 re'ol%tion. f%rther 9%stifies nationalis+ and other for+s of olitical andc%lt%ral identification as re'ol%tionary0 ;o&e'er. the BPP certainly did not %seanarchist theory in its de'elo+ent (&ith the e-cetion of ldrige Clea'er> ?@>

@ ?>@ D?@s fi-ation &ith Bak%nin and Sergei Nechae'> ?@>@ ?> @ D?@s infa+o%s Re'ol%tionary Catechis+#0 The BPP is notorio%s for ha'ing a highly a%thoritarian str%ct%re. and deending on &hich city or chater is e-a+ined.the Party often %sed +ilitarist ranking syste+s &hen referring to one another. anddigression fro+ this str%ct%re &as +et &ith disdain0

As the arty e'ol'ed. and its theoretical analysis de'eloed. BPP ideology attained a+ore internationalist o%tlook0 The anti"i+erialist rhetoric of the BPP. and thea%thoritarian str%ct%re. are ri+e e-a+les of the 1aoist infl%ence on the arty3sideology0 The nited States &as the +ightiest i+erialist go'ern+ent in the &orld.e-erting its infl%ence &ell beyond its o&n borders. b%t +ore i+ortantly for theAfrican"A+erican o%lation. the S &as seen by the BPP as an i+erialist o&eroressing the Black nation &ithin A+erica0 $n t%rn. and follo&ing 1aoist tho%ght.the BPP engaged in their str%ggle for Black liberation &ithin an anti"i+erialistconte-t0

The arty also borro&ed fro+ 1ao a strong sense of organiEational disciline ande+hasiEed criticis+ and self"criticis+0 The little red book &as read by all arty+e+bers and ser'ed as. not a g%ide for re'ol%tionary ra-is. b%t also as a sort of

ersonal r%lebook0 !%rther+ore. the resect to the self"deter+ination of all eole andthe belief that re'ol%tionary otential is fo%nd in all 'icti+s of i+erialis+. and not

9%st the ind%strial roletariat. is erfectly +irrored in the arty3s +any 4s%r'i'al rogra+s4 s%ch as the !ree Breakfast for Children &hich ser'ed to alle'iate thei++ediate needs of the black co++%nity b%t also hoed to ed%cate and raise there'ol%tionary conscio%sness of the Black +asses0 Ne&ton e-lains:

4'ery ethnic gro% has artic%lar needs that they kno& and %nderstand better thananybody else5 each gro% is the best 9%dge of ho& its instit%tions o%ght to affect theli'es of its +e+bers04

!inally. the idea that 4olitical o&er gro&s o%t of the barrel of a g%n4 is erhas +ostob'io%sly reresented in the arty3s tactics on self"defense and their insistence on

aearing in %blic f%lly ar+ed0


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RAC$S1. CAP$TAL$S1. AN= RF,LT$,NAR F$,LNC

2hich then &as the greater e'il to be fo%ght) 2ere caital and the alienation of theBlack &orker the so%rce of insiration for the BPP &hen deter+ining its re'ol%tionary

rogra+) ,r did the arty red%ce its analysis to a si+le and t&o"di+ensional. blackand &hite racist 4A+erikkka4) Clearly the arty ideolog%es &ere interested indra&ing fro+ different schools of tho%ght0 S%bse/%ently. their str%ggle de'eloed&ith resect to the co+le- and +%ltifaceted +aterial. social. olitical and c%lt%ralcondition of Blacks in the nited States0 $t is safe to say then that their str%ggleagainst racis+ &as as i+ortant as their str%ggle against caital0 1ore i+ortantlyho&e'er. the Black Panther Party areciated the connection bet&een caital andracis+0 $n this sense. their str%ggles against both e'ils &ere not +%t%ally e-cl%si'e.

b%t instead co+le+entary0 As &as re'io%sly noted. Ne&ton e-lains: 4Ne'ercon'inced that destroying caitalis+ &o%ld a%to+atically destroy racis+. $ felt.ho&e'er. that &e co%ld not destroy racis+ &itho%t &iing o%t its econo+ic

fo%ndations04

The Black Panther Party ackno&ledged the i+ortance of adoting a re'ol%tionaryattit%de to&ards its racial and class str%ggles and conse/%ently adoted a ra-is ofar+ed self"defense0 The arty3s ersecti'e on 'iolence de'eloed fro+ their o&n'iolent oression0 Therefore. their decision to aroach Black liberation fro+ a self"defense standoint &as in fact a resonse to&ards their condition rather than an%naologetic 9%stification of 'iolence0

T; =FL,P1NT ,! PRAH$S: AR1= SL!"=!NS 's0 C,11N$TPR,GRA1S

Tracing the ideological history and de'elo+ent of the BPP is a co+le- and at ti+esco%nterint%iti'e e-ercise0 Perhas harder to deter+ine ho&e'er. is the lifesan of the

arty itself0 Ne'ertheless. for all intents and %roses. the Black Panther Party &asfo%nded in 6788 and &as dissol'ed in 67I6 as a res%lt of the Ne&ton"Clea'er slit0The reasons for the slit. in tr%e Panther sirit. are /%ite co+licated0 ;%ey Ne&tonand Bobby Seale drafted the Panther ten"oint rogra+ in ,ctober 67880 At the+o+ent of its fo%nding the BPP consisted of Seale and Ne&ton alone0 By 67Iho&e'er. the arty had +ore than K chaters nation"&ide. a +e+bershi of M

and an international section0 2hile e-ternal factors attrib%ted considerably to the arty3s tragic de+ise. +ost notably J0 dgar ;oo'er3s C,$NTLPR, rogra+.internal di'isions layed an i+ortant role in di'iding and e'ent%ally destroying theBPP0 As the arty gre&. and beca%se the fo%nding +e+bers fo%nd the+sel'es in

rison shortly after 6788 (;%ey Ne&ton &as acc%sed of the +%rder of a olice officerin late 678I &hile Bobby Seale &as con'icted as one of the 4Chicago ight4 d%ringthe =e+ocratic National Con'ention# different factionalis+s e+erged across thedifferent chaters0 1ost of these di'isions &ere sarked by ideological and tacticaldis%tes bet&een Ne&ton and ldridge Clea'er0 1%+ia Ab% Ja+al e-lains: 4000there&as no single BPP5 there &ere +any. %nified in one national organiEation. to be s%re.

b%t se rated by the 'ario%s regional and c%lt%ral infl%ences that for+ and infor+

conscio%sness04


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Point n%+ber se'en of the ten"oint rogra+ ad'ocated for ar+ed self"defense of black eole in A+erica0 ;%ey Ne&ton and Bobby Seale belie'ed that the sit%ation in,akland. California (as in +any other cities in A+erica# &as intolerable "considerable n%+bers of African"A+ericans &ere constant 'icti+s of olice br%talityand +%rders " and therefore began their rogra+ of atrolling the olice0 Ne&ton

e-lains the reasoning behind oint se'en: 4The e+hasis on &eaons &as anecessary hase in o%r e'ol%tion. based on !rantE !anon3s contention that the eoleha'e to be sho&n that coloniEers and their agents " the olice " are not b%llet"roof02e sa& this action as a bold ste in +aking o%r rogra+ kno&n and raising theconscio%sness of the eole04

,ther oints of the rogra+ &ere stressed as &ell ho&e'er. and the Black PantherParty did not li+it its tactical str%ggles to &hat %lti+ately &as a sy+bolic sho& offorce0 Perhas the best of these rogra+s &as the !ree Breakfast for Children startedin 67870 2ard Ch%rchill. a historian and Nati'e A+erican acti'ist. states that s%ch a

rogra+ &as 4+eeting the daily n%tritional re/%ire+ents of an esti+ated .

grade"schoolers in forty"fi'e inner cities across the co%ntry4 and it acco%nted 4for theParty3s e-traordinary o%larity a+ong %rban blacks d%ring the late 6783s04

As ti+e assed ho&e'er. /%estions began to e+erge &ithin the arty (as &ell as&itho%t# abo%t the re'ol%tionary nat%re of s%ch re+edial 4s%r'i'al rogra+s04 2asfeeding children art of the agenda of an alleged re'ol%tionary organiEation) $nsteadof de'oting its energies in alle'iating the conditions %nder the A+erican caitalist andracist syste+. &hy didn3t the arty engage in +ore +ilitant and ar+ed"str%ggle"oriented acti'ities) S%ch &ere the oinions of ldridge Clea'er. &ho dee+ed theco++%nity"oriented rogra+s 4refor+ist4 and instead referred the arty3s originale+hasis on self"defense and olice atrolling0 $f Black eole &ere going to begi'en aid &ithin the syste+ &hile not directly confronting the instit%tions of caitaland racis+. didn3t the BPP r%n the risk of losing its radicalness) S%rely ro'idinglo&er class African"A+ericans &ith free health ser'ice alle'iated their i++ediateneeds. b%t ho& effecti'e &as it in ending racis+ and caitalis+)

Ne&ton arg%es that in fact s%ch for+s of co++%nity organiEing and acti'is+ beca+e+ore effecti'e and aroriate than their earlier acti'ities centered aro%nd self"defense: 42e soon disco'ered that &eaons and %nifor+s set %s aart fro+ theco++%nity>?@>@O?>?Q erhas o%r +ilitary strategy &as too +%ch of 4agreat lea for&ard04 $ndeed s%ch gen%ine co++it+ent ser'ed to enco%rage ideas of

+%t%al aid and solidarity a+ong lo& and +iddle class blacks0 !%rther+ore. byli+iting the str%ggle of the BPP to 9%st one of the ten oints of its fo%nding rogra+&o%ld be in contradiction to arty ideology0 $+ortant to note is that arty faced a+ilitarily stronger ene+y. hell"bent on disr%ting and e'ent%ally destroying e'ery andall efforts of the Black liberation +o'e+ent0 $n fact. J0 dgar ;oo'er declared in J%ne6787: 4the Black Panther Party. &itho%t /%estion. reresents the greatest threat tointernal sec%rity of the co%ntry04

Tactically. as &ell as olitically. the decision to de"e+hasiEe the ar+ed ersona ofthe Panthers &as a conscio%s atte+t on the art of ;%ey Ne&ton and the National;ead/%arters at ,akland to better engage in the str%ggle of black liberation0 G%ns had

ser'ed to 9%+start the BPP3s o%larity and de+onstrate its resol'e. b%t co++%nity


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organiEing ga'e the arty an oort%nity to beco+e +ore ac/%ainted &ith the socialrealities of those it ai+ed to liberate0

$nas+%ch as race and class &ere not +%t%ally e-cl%si'e. b%t rather co+le+entary toeach other. co++%nity organiEing and ar+ed str%ggle co%ld ha'e been

si+%ltaneo%sly engaged and s%orted0 Both. after all. had the e/%al otential toad'ance the interests of Blacks and hel in de'eloing re'ol%tionary conscio%sness0

Ne'ertheless. inas+%ch as e-cl%si'e attention to the ar+ed str%ggle +ight ha'e led tothe arty3s early de+ise at the hands of the State. e-cl%si'e attention to solelyre+edial rogra+s s%ch as the free clinics and free breakfasts +ight ha'e led to a+ore liberal and refor+ist BPP0

Perhas the arty &o%ld ha'e benefited and +a-i+iEed its otential as aRe'ol%tionary Black Nationalist organiEation by broadening its str%ggles to bothre+edial and i++ediate rogra+s as &ell as +ore +ilitant acti'ities so long as they&ere both ai+ed at a co++on and re'ol%tionary goal: the necessity for Black eole

to gain control of the instit%tions in their o&n co++%nities. e'ent%ally transfor+ingthe+ into cooerati'es. and of one day &orking &ith other ethnic gro%s to changethe syste+0

1ore i+ortantly ho&e'er. and for the fate of the Black liberation +o'e+ent. the arty &o%ld ha'e benefited fro+ adoting less a%thoritarian ractices and str%ct%res0Regrettably. and gi'en the hierarchical nat%re of its organiEation. the BPP3s de+ise&as %lti+ately sarked by a si+le fe%d bet&een t&o arty leaders0

,BSRFAT$,NS AN= C,NCLS$,NS

$t is safe to say that the Black Panther Party &as the +ost i+ortant re'ol%tionaryorganiEation in A+erica d%ring the late th cent%ry0 $ts s%ccesses &ere notcoincidental0 The Panther theoretical analysis and de'elo+ent o%tlined theoression of African A+ericans &ithin the instit%tions of racis+ and caitalis+0 $tsstr%ggles and ideology +ade the necessary connections bet&een the t&o for+s oforession0 Partly dra&ing fro+ re'io%s +o'e+ents and ideologies (+orei+ortantly 1ar-is+. !anonis+ and 1aois+# and artly beca%se of their o&n acti'ein'ol'e+ent in the day"to"day str%ggles of Black A+erica. the BPP &as able tode'elo a tr%ly re'ol%tionary olitical latfor+ that resented a +ore 9%st and 'iable

alternati'e0

Ne'ertheless. +istakes &ere +ade and shortco+ings led to the early de+ise of the arty0 2hile the BPP3s racial and class analysis +ight be co++ended (indeed it rod%ced one of the +ost co+lete and re'ol%tionary theories res%lting of the 6783s#it +%st be obser'ed that so+e of its ractices and beliefs %lti+ately had negati'eeffects on the Black o%lation as +e+bers of a gi'en class and racial gro%0

The arty3s e+hasis on 'ang%ardist organiEational str%ct%res relicated so+e of the'ery oressi'e str%ct%res that it ai+ed to co+bat0 Race and class are not abstractconcets5 racis+. classis+ and caitalis+ therefore e-ist and +anifest the+sel'es at

e'ery le'el of social interaction0 To clai+ that a re'ol%tionary organiEation is i++%nefro+ reactionary ele+ents is therefore fla&ed0 $t &o%ld be ridic%lo%s to clai+ that the


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arty racticed 4re'erse racis+4 " as so+e ha'e clai+ed o'er the years in hoes ofdiscrediting its legacy " ne'ertheless. social oressions fo%nd o%tside of the arty&ere resent inside of the arty as &ell0 A%thoritarian str%ct%res. s%ch as thosead'ocated by the +a9ority of the leftist organiEations of the 83s. failed to address theiss%e of social oressions in their entirety0 Additionally the Party> ?@>@ ?>

@ D?@s failed to address iss%es of Patriarchy as an e-licit oint in their 6"oint Progra+0 This. co%led &ith notorio%s e-a+les of +ale do+inance. se-%alharass+ent and ab%se to&ards &o+en &ithin the ranks of the Party. sho&s an inherentconflict &ithin the Party3s latfor+. and is another e-a+le of the leadershi of theParty failing to recogniEe ho& they &ere in fact +aintaining oressi'e instit%tions0

By de'eloing hierarchical social and olitical syste+s &ithin the BPP. ;%ey Ne&tonand other arty leaders &ere effecti'ely relicating oressi'e forces fo%nd &ithin thesyste+ they &ere co+bating0 The /%estion of 4h%+an e+anciation4 issi+%ltaneo%sly a /%estion of social as &ell as indi'id%al liberation0 $f the o&er of theindi'id%al is co+ro+ised o'er the good of the collecti'e. the re'ol%tionary otential

of the said collecti'e is co+ro+ised as &ell0 2hat if the arty had de'eloed +ore articiatory and horiEontal str%ct%res) S%rely. the leadershi &o%ld ha'e seen its o&er and a%thority co+ro+ised0 Ne'ertheless s%ch co+ro+ise co%ld ha'e%lti+ately benefited the arty str%ct%re0 !or if the a%thority had been decentraliEedand delegated thro%gh the +any chaters and +e+bers of the arty. it &o%ld ha'etaken +ore than a co%le blo&s to effecti'ely end the BPP in 67I60

The Black Panther Party &as gen%inely co++itted to the eole it ai+ed to liberate0$ts theory &as clearly re'ol%tionary and. in tr%e 1ar-ist and !anonist sirit. ite+anated fro+ the +aterial. as &ell as social. c%lt%ral and racial conditions of theAfrican A+erican o%lation of the S0

Ne'ertheless. &here the BPP e-celled in re'ol%tionary theory and co++it+ent itlacked in re'ol%tionary str%ct%re0 Regrettably. it failed to recogniEe the oressi'enat%re of its leadershi and arty organiEation that %lti+ately led to its 'ery de+ise0

a look at the black panther party

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