The Black Panther Party originally a party for self defense was founded in October 1966 by Bobby seale and Huey. P. Norton as a reaction to the police brutality that African- Americans neighborhoods were facing. The BPP were political leftists (Promotes social justice and equality) as a result actions were taken. The black panthers were known to dress in black and sometimes blue.
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| Bobby Seale |
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Huey. P. Newton
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The BPP was active in the U.S and made international impace thought the black power movement
The black power movement was a political slogan used to emphasize racial pride within the black community it was a slogan that echoed throughout the black community influencing musicians athletes etc James brown responded to the slogan with his 1968 song "I'm black and I'm proud" it became an anthem for the black power movement addressing the prejudice to black Americans and the need for equality.
Within the same year Olympic athletes made a stand in the name of equality. Gold medalist Tommie Smith and bronze medalist John Carlos made a stand for black power performing the black power salute on the podiums while receiving their medals. As a result of their actions the medalists were were ostracized in the U.S and their families received death threats. Time magazine responded to their action by printing an image of the Olympic rings and replacing the words "Faster, Higher, Stronger" with Angrier, Nastier, Uglier.
By 1968 the BPP had expanded through the U.S to states such as New York, Los Angeles Washington D.C, New Orleans, Chicago, Detroit and many others and had a membership of 10,000 by 1969. FBI director J. Edgar Hoover called the BBP "the greatest thereat to internal security of the country." J. Edgar Hoover the supervised a programme to incriminate party members and drain the resources and manpower of the BPP, This programme caused internal problems and lead to Alex Rackley a black power member to be tortured and murdered as other members though he was a government informant.
The party fell apart due to a rise in legal costs and disputes between one another and by 1980 the membership of 10, 000 had fallen to just 27 and in 1982 the BBP decided to close.
