Revolutionary Series: The Black Panthers-Community Organizers

The Black Panthers Party was a political organization started in October 1966 in Oakland, California by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. The original name was The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense with a Core Mission: To challenge police brutality and systemic racism in Black communities. Their ideology & influence was rooted in Marxist–Leninist and Black nationalist thought inspired by Malcolm X, Frantz Fanon, and Stokely Carmichael.

The FBI labeled the Panthers “the greatest threat to internal security” in 1969. Through COINTELPRO, the government used surveillance, infiltration, and disinformation to dismantle the party. This led to arrests, assassinations (e.g., Fred Hampton), and internal divisions.

Though officially dissolved by the early 1980s, the Panthers’ influence lives on in movements like Black Lives Matter, community mutual aid, and Afrofuturist activism. Their emphasis on self-determination, radical care, and political education continues to inspire artists, organizers, and educators.

The Path

The Black Panther Party’s Ten-Point Program, written by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale in 1966—a radical blueprint for justice, dignity, and self-determination became a blueprint for radical organizing and was widely circulated in Black communities. It Outlined demands for:

Freedom and full employment
Decent housing and education
An end to police brutality
Justice for Black Americans

The second half of the program expands on each demand, grounding them in the belief that the U.S. government had failed Black Americans and must be held accountable. It draws from the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights but reinterprets them through a lens of Black nationalism and socialist justice.

Despite media portrayals as militant, the Panthers ran dozens of social initiatives, including:

Free Breakfast for Children
Community health clinics
Education and legal aid
Senior escort services

These programs addressed immediate needs while building political consciousness. They also highlight the truth that the Panthers main goal was to improve the social conditions for disenfranchised communities. In contradiction of the negative spin that is often the narrative in the media.

The Panthers Free Breakfast was run by Volunteers—mostly women—who prepared and served nutritious meals like eggs, grits, toast, and milk. Food was sourced through donations from local businesses and churches, sometimes with community pressure. The program expanded rapidly, reaching over 20,000 children in 1969 and operating in at least 36 cities by 1971.

The Obstacle

The program’s success alarmed FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, who led attempts to sabotage it through raids, forged letters, and rumors of poisoned food, aiming to discredit the Panthers and dismantle their support. Nonetheless, this program later helped inspire federal free breakfast initiatives and highlighted the power of grassroots organizing. It remains a symbol of radical love and care, showing how revolutionary movements can nourish both body and spirit.

The Foundation

The Panthers had global allies, including revolutionary groups in Algeria, Cuba, and Vietnam. They established an international chapter in Algeria, where Eldridge Cleaver served as a representative. César Chávez and the United Farm Workers (UFW) partnered with the Panthers during the California grape boycott. The American Indian Movement (AIM) and the Panthers shared strategies for resisting state violence and reclaiming sovereignty. The Panthers believed in intercommunalism—the idea that oppressed communities worldwide could unite against imperialism and capitalism. These alliances helped build a multiracial front for justice, challenging the narrative that the Panthers were insular or separatist.

The Black Panther Party also had notable allies in the Asian American activist community, especially during the late 1960s and early 1970s, including Richard Aoki, A Japanese American activist and one of the few non-Black members to hold a formal leadership role in the Black Panther Party. He also co found the Asian American Political Alliance (AAPA), which helped bridge Black and Asian liberation movements. These alliances were rooted in shared experiences of racial injustice, state surveillance, and a commitment to revolutionary change.