Hi Everyone!
I wanted to write about my reactions to the Black Panther Party Platform alterations. I've always had a strange liking for US History so I looked into more of the BPP history and its origins. I was more interested as to why the platform in 1966 sounded so much more blunt and radical.
I found that the BPP had its origins in Oakland, California in October of 1966 by two men: Huey Newton and Bobby Seale. Figures...The Bay area, at the time, was filled with various civil rights advocators, mainly protesting against the government and its wrongdoings. This advocators were mainly those of a younger generation, creating a generation gap between the younger student protestors and their clashing parent's ideologies. Malcom X was seen to be a big influence into the BPP party; influencing radical ideals to the BPP. Thus, the 1966 Platform was published. Its intentions were more of a protest, sending powerful rhetoric to the California state Government. Blacks were largely represented in the Platform because of its context during the Civil Rights Movement.
In 1969, the BPP was beginning to fray. Many were split over the idea to include whites under the classification of the minority. Eventually, Huey re-wrote the platform, against the wishes of some of his members. He attempted to reunite the BPP and make it stronger as ever. Unfortunately, Huey became disillusioned due to many citizens' protests and hatred toward this BPP change. As a result, Newton became addicted to drug use. Not much later, Newton was shot in a drug dispute in the 1980s.
Sorry this is a little long! I kind of got carried away! But I hope you enjoyed my findings :)
Source: http://www.marxists.org/history/usa/workers/black-panthers/
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