Primary Sources: The 1960s: Black Panther Party
https://cnu.libguides.com/psthe1960s/blackpanther
To Determine the Destiny of Our Black Community”: The Black Panther Party’s 10-Point Platform and Program
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/6445Â
As mentioned in the article Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale formed the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense in Oakland, California. They acknowledge that black people will not be free until we can determine our future. They want full employment for our people because they feel that this racist government has robbed us and now they are demanding the unpaid debt of forty acres and two mules. “Forty acres and two mules were promised 100 years ago as restitution for slave labor and mass murder of black people.” The author proceeds to go on about the reparations we deserve for the trauma we endured over the years. Subsequently, after the Germans murdered six million Jews they aided them into Israel for the genocide of the Jews. So the author is stating he doesn’t see why African Americans never received any type of payment. The author further discusses how life, in general, should be better for black people. Better schooling, neighborhoods, health insurance, jobs, paychecks, and many more aspects. The most important part to me is that he is not saying we “want” these things but that we DESERVE it. We waited long enough.Â
I agree with the author and his perspectives on what we deserve after all these years. The author himself writes “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” I feel as if this has a meaningful message to it. I’ve heard this quotation on many occasions and I never once disagreed with it. We are all made the same, the way, and should be treated as such. Some minorities get backlash because of their background, skin color, and even sometimes because of their hair. The author also proceeds to state “We want education that teaches us our true history and our role in the present-day society.” We’ve been lied to for years about our own culture. Even now the history books still have false events about African American culture. One huge lie that we all know yet still celebrate is Columbus Day. Furthermore, the author yearns for our younger youth to be exposed to the true nature of this decadent American society as he states. The author speculates that knowledge of self and background is important. He feels without either that person has a little chance to relate to anything else.Â
Nevertheless, I support the author’s argument. He goes on to tell us his beliefs about what the black community deserves and how America owes us from years ago. Some questions I have for the author are what gave you the courage to speak out? Back then during the late 60s and early 70s, I know it was hard being an outspoken African American. So I wish to know how he has the heart amongst a lot of other people to speak out for us. Some other information I need to research is black panther meetings, interviews, and what fundraisers they started. I would love to say thank you to the author for not only educating me but motivating me to research more on this topic. I wasn’t too sure at first if I wanted to do this but the more I researched the more I got into it, so thank you. What this document tells me about my research question is that we need to determine the destiny of our black community.Â
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“We want land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice, and peace. And as our major political objective, a United Nations supervised plebiscite to be held throughout the black colony in which only black colonial subjects will be allowed to participate, to determine the will of black people as to their national destiny.”
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