The Black Panther Party began in 1966 and its mission was to protect African American people from violence. Even after the civil rights legislation in the early 1960’s, African American people across North America continued to struggle. Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale created the Black Panther Party shortly after the assassination of Malcom X. The Black Panthers were primarily inspired by the practices of Malcolm X and used them to fight for their equality. The Party was originally created to protect African American communities from the constant violence towards their people. They eventually transitioned into a Marxist group that focused on the arming of African Americans, and the release of African Americans from jail. They distinguished between racist and non-racist whites instead of identifying all white Americans as the issue. This helped differentiate the Black Panther Party from other cultural nationalist organizations.
The Black Panthers created a Ten-Point Program that called for the employment of African-Americans, housing, and the end of police brutality. These were rules and guidelines that members were required to live by. They were made public in 1967, and were published in the second edition of the party’s weekly newsletter.
Ten-Point Program
- We Want Freedom. We Want Power To Determine The Destiny Of Our Black Community.
- We Want Full Employment For Our People
- We Want An End To The Robbery By The Capitalists Of Our Black Community.
- We Want Decent Housing Fit For The Shelter Of Human Beings.
- We Want Education For Our People That Exposes The True Nature Of This Decadent American Society. We Want Education That Teaches Us Our True History And Our Role In The Present-Day Society.
- We Want All Black Men To Be Exempt From Military Service
- We Want An Immediate End To Police Brutality And Murder Of Black People.
- We Want Freedom For All Black Men Held In Federal, State, County And City Prisons And Jails
- We Want All Black People When Brought To Trial To Be Tried In Court By A Jury Of Their Peer Group Or People From Their Black Communities, As Defined By The Constitution Of The United States
- We Want Land, Bread, Housing, Education, Clothing, Justice And Peace.
The party started numerous community programs such as breakfast programs for school children and free health clinics for African American communities. The Black Panthers were involved in many violent encounters with the police. Founder Huey Newton was sentenced to 15 years in prison for alleged manslaughter in 1968.
The Black Panther Party was able to provide food to plenty of children across the nation. Their kitchens and breakfast programs provided over 10,000 children with food before school every day. The Party eventually grew from an Oakland-based program to an international organization including participation in 48 states and support from other various countries. Along with their free breakfast program, the Black Panthers also created over 35 survival programs, educational help, legal aid, transportation service, etc. However, the FBI eventually declared the Black Panther Party a communist organization and used agent provocateurs, and sabotage to eviscerate the party. The FBI were so forceful that the director apologized for “wrongful uses of power”.
The Black Panther Party eventually seized operations in 1982, however, the legacy of the party lives on today. They have inspired many of the current organizations such as Black Lives Matter. The party is also heavily referenced in popular rap music from the past and the present.
Elaine Brown- “The Meeting” (Black Panther Party Anthem)
Elaine Brown was a member of the Black Panther Party from 1968-1978, and served as the leader of the party from 1974-1977. Elaine has recorded two studio albums, including her 1969 release “Seize the Time”, and was already a known singer before she was announced leader. “The Meeting” was decided to be the anthem for the Black Panther Party, and it was required that all members listen to it and memorize the lyrics. The song is written about an encounter she had with Eldridge Cleaver, who was a leader of the Black Panther Party. The lyrics are interesting, considering that Elaine Brown would eventually be elected as the leader of the Black Panther Party. They most likely describe her early feelings of inspiration to join the Black Panthers and start to motivate others to make a difference. Shortly after the release of this song, Elaine was offered the opportunity to record a full album which would become Seize the Time. This album included several songs that were among the first voices of revolution in the United States. Seize the Time also includes songs like “The End of Silence”, which features extremely provocative lyrics to get her message across.
“And we sat and we talked
Elaine Brown
About freedom and things
And he told me about what he dreamed
But I knew of that dream
Long before he had spoke
And a feeling familiarly came around“
Elaine Brown was born in Philadelphia in 1943, and moved to Los Angeles in 1965. She joined the Black Panther Party and was named Chief in 1974. Elaine also used her position in the Black Panther Party to support women’s rights. In a 2016 interview, Elaine spoke on her time in the Black Panther Party. “There was no other organization out there that had a woman as a leader. None.” she told the Huffington Post. Even though the Black Panther Party is no longer around today, Elaine continues to carry on with her strong ideas of equality in society. She is the CEO of Oakland and The World Enterprises, which is a non-profit organization aiming to help people of all background start a business of their own.
Gil Scott Heron- “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”
Gil Scott Heron was a poet and musician born in Chicago in 1949. He is one of the early pioneers of hip-hop music and is best known for his powerful lyrics. Gil was a student at Lincoln University in the 1960’s, and became very inspired after seeing The Last Poets perform at the school in 1969. His most important song is “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” and it was originally released on his 1970 debut album “Small Talk at 125th and Lenox”. This original version would eventually be accompanied by a second version included on his “Pieces of a Man” record. The two versions feature the exact same lyrics, however, they have significant musical differences. The original uses a simple tribal like drum beat, with Scott-Heron talking over top. This drum beat has a really impactful effect on the lyrics of the song and gives it a very serious sound. It creates a sense of urgency and provides very effective backing for the vocals.
The second version of “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” is a significant change in terms of the music. This time, Gil Scott-Heron is accompanied by a full band. This addition gives the song a jazzy hip-hop vibe. It is certainly more commercial than the original version released a year earlier. The song has a countercultural theme and is very eye opening. Scott-Heron calls out several people in pop culture at the time, including President Richard Nixon. The lyrics imply that businesses own everything that you see on television, so that when common people eventually rise to rebellion, there won’t be any coverage provided. Scott-Heron had gained a lot of inspiration from the shootings at at American Universities, and the protests that were happening around the country. He also published two novels before he released any music. The album “Pieces of a Man” was released in 1971, and peaked at number 25 for Top Jazz Albums in 1973. Success from this album did not come right away, but eventually people began to pick it up and realize its importance.
“You will not be able to stay home, brother
You will not be able to plug in, turn on and drop out
You will not be able to lose yourself on skag and skip
Skip out for beer during commercials
Because the revolution will not be televised”
Gil Scott-Heron
“The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” was released during the time of the Black Panther Party, and became an early slogan for the black power movement. Gil Scott-Heron revolutionized the music industry and became a true pioneer of todays rap music. He is viewed as an inspiration to many modern day hip-hop artists, including Kanye West who sampled Scott-Heron in his 2010 album “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”. Gil Scott-Heron passed away in 2011, however, his legacy will continue to live on and inspire future artists hoping for change.
The Black Panther Party was extremely important for the black power movement, and many of their practices largely inspire the movements seen today. Elaine Brown and Gil Scott-Heron both delivered music that was very important for the Black Panther Party. “The Meeting” by Elaine Brown describes an early interaction with a party leader and reveals her inspiration for change. It was also declared the official anthem for the Black Panther Party. “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” described the potential impact of a rebellion.
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Black Power 