「The Black Panther」 (Reproduction) The Black Panther Party or BPP (originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was a black revolutionary socialist organization active in the United States from 1966 until 1982. The Black Panther Party achieved national and international notoriety through its involvement in the Black Power movement and U.S. politics of the 1960s and 1970s. Gaining national prominence, the Black Panther Party became an icon of the counterculture of the 1960s. Although the Party emerged from black nationalist movements, ultimately, the Panthers condemned black nationalism as black racism and became more ideologically focused on socialist revolution without racial exclusivity. They instituted a variety of community social programs designed to alleviate poverty, improve health among inner city black communities, and soften the Partys public image. The Black Panther Partys most widely known programs were its armed citizens patrols to evaluate behavior of police officers and its Free Breakfast for Children program. However, the groups political goals were often overshadowed by the criminality of members and their confrontational, militant, and violent tactics against police. Federal Bureau of Investigation Director J. Edgar Hoover called the party the greatest threat to the internal security of the country, and he supervised an extensive program (COINTELPRO) of surveillance, infiltration, perjury, police harassment, and many other tactics designed to undermine Panther leadership, incriminate party members, and drain the organization of resources and manpower. Through these tactics, Hoover hoped to diminish the Partys threat to the general power structure of the U.S., or even maintain its influence as a strong undercurrent. Black Panther Party membership reached a peak of several thousand by early 1969, then suffered a series of contractions due to legal troubles, incarcerations, internal splits, expulsions and defections. Popular support for the Party declined further after reports appeared detailing the groups involvement in illegal activities such as drug dealing and extortion schemes directed against Oakland merchants. By 1972 most Panther activity centered on the national headquarters and a school in Oakland, where the party continued to influence local politics. Party contractions continued throughout the 1970s; by 1980 the Black Panther Party comprised just 27 members.
Posted on: Wed, 09 Jul 2014 02:32:12 +0000
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