4.3.3
The Black Panthers
The Black Panthers
The Black Panthers
The Black Panthers were founded in 1966 in California by Huey P Newton and Bobby Seale. The symbol of the panther was meant to represent a powerful being that would only attack if it was attacked itself.
10 Point Programme
10 Point Programme
- The Black Panthers had a 10 Point Programme which focused on decent housing, decent education (which included black history), self-determination, monetary compensation or ‘reparations’ from the government to the black people, an end to police brutality and ghettos.
- The organisation only had 5,000 members in around 30 different towns but was very effective.
- It published a newspaper which by 1969 was read by 250,000 people.
Black Panther activities
Black Panther activities
- They gave assistance to ghetto residents on issues such as healthcare.
- They set-up schools and provided free meals to black people who had low income.
- The organisation got attention in the press and created a feeling of mass black pride.
- This was reflected in the fact that colleges began to offer courses on black history.
- The Black Panthers did not achieve much that helped the issue of ghettos, partly because white taxpayers were still unwilling to fund improvements.
The Decline of the Black Panthers and the Vietnam War
The Decline of the Black Panthers and the Vietnam War
In the 1970s the Black Panther group began to decline.
Militarism
Militarism
- The Black Panthers were involved in shoot-outs against the police and wore a military uniform.
- Due to their militaristic setup, the government and police targeted them heavily.
- This caused their numbers to decrease after 1970.
Alienation of members
Alienation of members
- Further reasons for the decline in support for the Black Panthers included:
- Their poor organisation.
- Their alienation of female supporters through sexism.
- Their alienation of white supporters because they did not support non-violence.
- Some historians argue that the Black Panthers read the American public wrong; they were not ready for an armed revolution.
King's views on Vietnam
King's views on Vietnam
- Martin Luther King was openly critical of the Vietnam War. He believed that valuable funds were being taken away from solving the housing and ghetto crises.
- He disliked the bombing campaigns on Vietnam, especially when pictures surfaced of innocent civilians including children being attacked with chemical weapons.
Decline of the Civil Rights Movement
Decline of the Civil Rights Movement
- The Vietnam War also contributed to the decline of the Civil Rights movement.
- The fact that King was unwilling to support the war meant that support for the Civil Rights campaign dwindled.
1‘Free at Last’ 1865-77
1.1The Thirteenth Amendment
1.2Radical Reconstruction, 1867-77
2The Triumph of ‘Jim Crow’ 1883-c1890
2.1Jim Crow Laws & Civil Rights Cases
3The New Deal and Race Relations, 1933–41
3.1Failure to Address Black Grievances
3.2The New Deal
3.3The Second World War
4‘I have a dream’, 1954–68
4.1Civil Rights Activities, 1954–63
4.2Civil Rights 1964-68
4.3Malcolm X & The Black Panthers
5Obama's Campaign for the Presidency, 2004–09
5.1The Late 20th Century
5.2Barack Obama & his Political Career
5.3Reasons for Obama's Victory
Jump to other topics
1‘Free at Last’ 1865-77
1.1The Thirteenth Amendment
1.2Radical Reconstruction, 1867-77
2The Triumph of ‘Jim Crow’ 1883-c1890
2.1Jim Crow Laws & Civil Rights Cases
3The New Deal and Race Relations, 1933–41
3.1Failure to Address Black Grievances
3.2The New Deal
3.3The Second World War
4‘I have a dream’, 1954–68
4.1Civil Rights Activities, 1954–63
4.2Civil Rights 1964-68
4.3Malcolm X & The Black Panthers
5Obama's Campaign for the Presidency, 2004–09
5.1The Late 20th Century
5.2Barack Obama & his Political Career
5.3Reasons for Obama's Victory
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