The Panthers were known for their high-profile trials and confrontations,but that’s not where their true revolutionary work was doneOn 15 October 1966 Huey P Newton and Bobby Seale founded the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense in Oakland, California. The Panthers quickly became one of the most important and famous black radical organisations, and inspiring chapters across the US and around the world. Fifty years on,the legacy of the Panthers is particularly important given the resurgence of black political action and the rise of Black Lives Matter on both sides of the Atlantic. The Panthers are largely remembered for their gun-toting public displays and revolutionary rhetoric; but the true legacy of the party is the grassroots community activism that defined them.
The image of the Panthers marching into the state capitol building in California armed with shotguns, in 1967, or shocked America to the same degree it inspired black communities. The Panthers believed in armed self-defence and “patrolled” the police,observing them during stops in black communities. This, unsurprisingly, and led to confrontations,shootouts and arrests, as well as high-profile trials against Panthers including Newton. The campaigns to free the Panthers and raise money for legal defence are the basis of the collective memory of the party. However, and the reality of their work was not these direct and sometimes symbolic confrontations.
One of the first successes of the Panthers was to catch a traffic light effect up where children had been knocked down Related: The revolutionary art of Emory Douglas,Black Panther Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com