The time is always right to do what is right.

Martin Luther King Jr.

Before getting into the Black Panther Party and the #BlackLivesMatter movement we need to talk about the history before that. Let’s start with the movement that started it all, the Civil Rights Movement.

Civil Rights Movement

What was the Civil Rights Movement? A struggle for social justice for African-Americans that took place between 1954 and 1968. The African-American society in the United States had been granted some rights after the Civil War, and slavery was abolished but, there was still more to fight for hence, why they came together as one to stand up for what they believed in and fought for what was “the right thing” as Martin Luther King Jr. defined it as. Let’s get more into detail about what happened in that time period starting on August 28th, 1963

March on Washington arguably the most famous event that took place during the Civil Rights Movement era. On August 28th of 1963 Martin Luther King Jr., with the help of activists such as A.Philip Randolph, and Bayard Rustin organized a peaceful march that took place in Washington DC. by the famous Lincoln Memorial. Over 200,000 African-American and White people came together to protest one thing, job equality and freedom for all. The purpose of the event was to draw attention to the ongoing inequalities and challenges faced by African-Americans after emancipation. On top of all of this the event led to Martin Luther King Jr. making his famous “I have a dream speech” that has left an impact on today’s society and will continue to echo through many years to come. Now, the only reason for this protest wasn’t solely to achieve equality, but it was also to protest the violent attacks on Civil Rights activist in Birmingham, Alabama in that year. Initial there was meant to be two separate protests, but by the recommendations of A.Philip Randolph the two protests were combined into one with the hopes of making a bigger and greater impact.

Civil Rights Act of 1964

What was the Civil Rights Act of 1964? Under this act, segregation on the grounds of race, sex, religion, and national origin was banned at all public places. Based on this act African-Americans, and other minorities could no longer be denied service or any kind of government funded accommodation based on their skin colour, race, and etc. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was Signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson, after it was originally initiated by President John F. Kennedy in 1963. Kennedy believed that the United States “will not be fully free until all of its citizens are free,” and Johnson made his words come to life by signing the law into action on the 2nd of July of 1964. President Johnson said “Let this session of Congress be known as the session which did more for civil rights than the last hundred sessions combined,” many southern states argued that this that the bill unconstitutionally seized individual liberties and states’ rights. Many southern states and their governments tried to sabotage this bill, but ultimately the law was passed and put into action.

Bloody Sunday

“Bloody Sunday” started off as, yet another, peaceful march from the town of Selma in the state of Alabama to the capital of Montgomery to protest the brutal murder of Jimmie Lee Jackson by a white police officer while trying to protect his mother. Based on this injustice 600 activist set out to march 53 miles to Montgomery to protest this cause to the governor himself, but after becoming aware of this the governor informed his police platoon to set up a blockade on the Edmund Pettus Bridge. As the protesters reached the bridge Major John Cloud stated “This is an unlawful assembly. You have to disperse, you are ordered to disperse. Go home or go to your church. This march will not continue.” Wallace, the governor of Alabama, had also mentioned to his troopers “to use whatever measures are necessary to prevent a march,” which ultimately led to the death of more innocent people. The African-American community was yet again outraged by the brutality of the White man and wanted to retaliate in the same way they had been treated, but by the recommendation of Martin Luther King Jr. they did not as he had said that there are more effective ways to show our anger rather than being one of them.

It is wrong- deadly wrong- to deny any of your fellow Americans to vote in this country.

President Lyndon B. Johnson

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Voting rights activist in the southern states, during the Civil Rights Movement, were faced with many forms of mistreatment and violence. One of the many events the outraged the African-American community, as mentioned above, was the Selma to Montgomery march. In the wake of this incident President Johnson called for a voting rights legislation, in which he gave a speech that outlined ways in which officials treat African-Americans and raised more awareness. Almost all African-Americans were to take literacy tests before voting. These literacy tests were English exams that were almost impossible to pass, and were put in place to prevent African-Americans from being able to vote. Through this bill, President Johnson fully abolished these tests and made sure that no state was allowed to conduct these examinations on Black individuals wanting to vote. However, like many of his other decisions he was faced with a lot of hold backs from the southern states, but he put the law into actions eventually and banned literacy tests once and for all.

Assassination of Malcolm X

The assassination of Malcolm X on February 21st, 1965 created another out burst in the African-American society, and finally after that the Black Panther Party was formed. A little about Malcolm X and what happened to him. Malcolm X was a son to a priest which had many controversial views at the time, so they were forced to move around the country a lot. During his teen years Malcolm was taken in by a foster family, and got involved in street crimes. He was sent to jail for robbery and during his time in jail he met a man by the name of Elijah Muhammad. Muhammad was the leader of Nation of Islam, which was a group of people who believed the white man was the devil. X was strongly influenced by Muhammad, to the point where Muhammad realized that Malcolm has gained too much power. Eventually Malcolm X left the group and started his own group called Afro-American Unity, where he preached to his followers that the black man should stand up for himself, like Martin Luther King. During one of his speeches in New York City Malcolm was assassinated by a person who is believed to have been part of his old group Nation of Islam. Even though X was not killed by a white man the black community was outraged, and eventually the Black Panther Party was formed to stand up for black peoples’ rights.

James Brown – Say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud

The song “Say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud” was put out in 1968 as a funk genre song aimed to give African-Americans another push and another reminder of what they had been put through, so that they would not give up fighting for what they believed in, and what they deserved as a part of the society. The song goes to talk about all the hardships black people have been through, and that they have not given up so far and that they should not give up yet. Brown says:

Some people say we got a lot of malice, some say it’s a lotta nerve

But I say we won’t quit movin’ until we get what we deserve

We’ve been buked and we’ve been scourned…

In the first part of his song, he sings those lyrics, and they are clearly aimed towards the white people who never believed that the Civil Rights Movement would have any positive outcome for the African-Americans. It also gives those black people losing hope that we’ve come this far and can’t give up yet, making them push harder and fight harder.

I’ve worked on jobs with my feet and my hands

But all the work I did was for the other man

And now we demands a chance to do things for ourselves…

The song is very self explanatory and was intended to be that way so that everyone could understand the message. There were no hidden messages in this song and Brown just sang about what he believed in, and what he thought would help people get through tough times.

We rather die on our feet than keep livin’ on our knees…

In the last parts of his song he sings these lyrics, which ultimately go to show how fed up they were with their living situation, and how badly they demanded change.

This song went to receive many awards and placed highly on the charts. Peaked at No. 10 on Billboard Hot 100 Singles, and spent six weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard R&B; Singles chart. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, one of the 500 songs that shaped rock ‘n’ roll, and No. 305 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Lift every voice and sing (The Black National Anthem)

This song was originally a poem written back in 1900, but due to the message it carried it resonated a lot with the African-American society and gave them hope during hard time. Since it was not ever really a song it never received any awards or help any spots on the charts. The song had a bigger purpose, and that was to bring people together in hard times and help them get through it and fight for what they wanted.

The beginning of the song goes :

Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us

Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us

Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,

Let us march on till victory is won…

Again, a very simple a straight forward song, no hidden messages. Just giving people hope that they will get what they want and that giving up is not an option.

Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;

Yet with a steady beat

Have not our weary feet

Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?

We have come over a way that with tears has been watered

We have come, treading our path thro’ the blood of the slaughtered….

Again, the song goes on about reminding people that they have come so far from the days that they were used as slaves, and how their ancestors pushed through harder times for the future generation to live an easier life. This song became the Black National Anthem because it made such a connection with the community and reminded them of how far they have come and how much they have achieved in the past decades.

Word Count: approx. 1900

Here is a chance for you to show us what our blog has taught you!

1. Who were the two founders of the Black Panther Party? A) Huey Newton and Bobby Seale B) Martin Luther King C) Elayne Brown and James Brown D) All of the above
2. What was the time span of the Black Panther Party? A) 1900-1980 B) 1966-1982 C) 2013 D) 1954-1968
3. What was/is the main focus of the Black Panther Party and the #BlackLivesMatter movement? A) Create Black Power B) End White Privilege C) They did not have similar goals D) To End police brutality towards black communities and individuals
4. Where did Martin Luther King deliver his famous speech? A) March on Montgomery B) March on Oakland C)March on Washington D) March on Somewhere
5. What city was the Black Panther Party Formed in? A) Los Angeles, CA B) Atlanta, GA C) Oakland, CA D) Houston, TX

Answers

1. A
2. B
3. D
4. C
5. C

By Riley Weiler

• 

“Black Lives Matter” (Logo). Retrieved November 21, 2019 from https://blacklivesmatter.com

• Who? Black Lives Matter is a campaign founded by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors & Opal Tometi.
• What? Black Lives Matter is a campaign that aims to halt violence and racism towards black communities and individuals. The Black Lives Matter Organization rally’s individuals in peaceful protests speaking out against unrightfully police killings, racial profiling, police brutality and racial inequity.
• When? The campaign #BlackLivesMatter hit social media in 2013 after the death of Treyvon Martin, an unarmed black teen, following an altercation between Martin and Zimmerman, a volunteer neighbourhood watchmen.

Black Power Music- Jazz/Funk has been the music behind the Black Power Movement until (roughly) 1980/1990 when we see a shift to powerful Hip-Hop/Rap telling stories and standing up for Black Lives, Power, and Equality.

“Alright” By Kendrick Lamar

“Alright” by Kendrick Lamar (Album: To Pimp a Butterfly)- Lamar told GQ he received this beat from Pharrell Williams in the late months of 2014 but held onto it for 6 months until he could add the right lyrics. Once being released in June of 2015, “Alright” quickly became an ‘Anthem of faith, hope and endurance’ of the Black Lives Matter Movement. Its hard to say which specific event led to this songs involvement in protest, however a meaningful event that some say spark the initiative to use this song was at the 3 day conference “The Movement for Black Lives” on the campus of Cleveland State University. During a break in the conference a participant played “Alright” by Kendrick Lamar and the crowd broke out in chant. On Sunday, the last day of the conference, a 14 year old boy was seen being questioned by police as they believe him to be intoxicate in public. As time went on bystanders became protestors, more police showed up, and tensions grew. Finally the boys mother showed up and they were safely escorted out and let go. The protestors broke out in a familiar refrain: “We gon’ be alright” from the songs chorus (see below video: Piffin, B., July 28, 2015). Slate Magazine, Chicago Rapper Ric Wilson, the Journal of the Society for Music Theory, and many more have deemed “Alright” the new “We Shall Overcome” – the original protest anthem of the Civil Rights Movement.

“Alright” also inspired Donald Trump Protestors (March 11), and activists during the 20th Anniversary of the Million Man March (October).

In a terrific GQ interview with Kendrick Lamar and Rick Rubin, Lamar states that he knew the beat sounded fun but there was something else in the chords he needed to approach in a particular way. He wanted to create a statement; A staple in hip-hop. He says specifically, ‘I wanted to play it as uplifting, but aggressive. Not playing the victim but having that… we strong’ feeling. Rick Rubin tells Lamar in his GQ interview (see above video, GQ Magazine, the lyrics are seen as a “throwback to when lyrics mattered’ as he feels “so much of hip-hop today is about vibe and swag and less about words”. This is a staple in telling how artists can choose to use their platforms today.

Miles Marshal Lewis (Author of Promise That You Will Sing About Me: The Power and Poetry of Kendrick Lamar) says the chords (duh duh duhhh) have a haunting presence as they play into the dark history of Slavery in America. “Four hundred years ago, as slaves, we prayed and sung joyful songs to keep our heads level-headed with what was going on,” Lamar said. “Four hundred years later, we still need that music to heal. And I think that ‘Alright’ is definitely one of those records that makes you feel good no matter what the times are.” The following lyrics from the song acknowledge the long history of black oppression:

“Wouldn’t you know, we been hurt, been down before

When our pride was low

Looking at the world like where do we go?”

This travel to the past in “Alright” is quickly transferred to the present struggle against unrightful police killings, racial profiling, police brutality and racial inequity:

And we hate po-po

Wanna kill us dead in the streets for sure

I’m at the preacher’s door

My knees getting weak, and my gun might blow,

But we gon’ be alright

• Charts:
• “To Pimp a Butterfly” won Rap Album of 2016
• “Alright” won Best Rap Performance of 2016
• “Alright” won Best Rap Song of 2016
• Reached #1 on Billboards top 100 of 2016
• Rewarded Pitchfork’s (Online music Magazine) #1 song and music video of 2016

Kendrick Lamar made a perfect ‘stand up song’ for the movement. “Alright” encouraged strength, hope, and union among all communities and individuals, creating a real impact on the #BlackLivesMatter movement.

“White Privilege II” By Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Jamila Woods

The next song I am going to discuss involved in the #BlackLivesMatter movement is “White Privilege II”. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are known activists who are not afraid to make a stand on controversial opinions. Ben Haggerty (Macklemore) said in a Rolling Stones interview that he was following the Mike Brown and Darren Wilson incident, and on the day it was announced that Wilson was not indicted, it made him feel “physically sick, angry and frustrated”. After the news he immediately got in his car and drove to join the protest outside of the police precinct as a way to get involved and voice his opinions. This same night Haggerty says he got on the phone with an old friend (he would not name) to talk about the Mike Brown case. To his surprise his friend said, “You have a platform, but silence is an action, and right now, you’re being silent. You’re not saying anything about whats going on… You have perspective and insight onto these issues that you need to be speaking about. Its very important that you engage your audience”. Haggerty says this was a defining moment for him, this statement made him realize he needs to not only engage himself in the conversation but all the individuals listening to his music as well. This moment resulted in the creation of “White Privilege II”.

This song has a lot going on. It is a 9 minute rap song bringing to light several controversial moments of this movement, in a bit of a spastic way. The song did not do great chart wise, an NPR article written by Gene Debby even claimed “the nine minute treatise works better as a think piece than it does a song… but its certainly not counterproductive”. The song reached #1 on the Billboard + Twitter trending 140 and made its was onto Rolling Stones 22 protest anthems of the Black Lives Matter movement. Although the song itself was not ‘top chart’ material, it was definitely a conversation piece (as stated by Demby), which was Haggerty’s goal to begin with.

The song has a great gospel/chant feel behind it. At about 1:10 in the song you start to hear a chorus of people chanting “There’s blood in the streets, No Justice No Peace.” The ‘No justice, No peace’ portion of this chant is a rendition of Martin Luther Kings “There can be no justice without peace and there can be no peace without justice”. This remodelled chant was used as a mantra is several events protesting unjust police brutality.

Later on in the song the artists talk about how the hip hop culture is exploited and stolen from it’s original culture – black individuals. He calls out famous singers such as Elvis, Miley Cyrus, and Iggy Azalea specifically for taking over the culture and claims “it was never yours to make better”. This took social media by storm, receiving a ‘backlash tweet’ from Iggy Azalea herself:

This tweet however made things worse for Azalea with fans and other famous individuals claiming she was being selfish and missing the point like so many others; The point of the song was not to bring attention to other artists, it was to engage more individuals and bring about awareness of the black lives matter movement. One of the most interesting lines in the song, trying to cause self reflection is:

We all want to take from black culture;

But will we show up for black lives?

The racial profiling and unjust police brutality against black communities is a serious issue today that needs to be dealt with. These two songs are by two artists out of several that are trying to help bring attention to the matter by using their enormous social platforms. Lamar’s “Alright” encourages strength, hope, and endurance on the matter, while Macklemore’s “White Privilege II” is a conversation piece that engages the masses. Don’t take the easy action of being silent, stand up and take part in real change to stop the list below (lives of black individuals that have been unjustly taken) from growing and growing.

1966-1982

The Black Panther Party for Self- Defense was found in 1966 in Oakland, California. It was a political organization created by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale. Their organization was focused on the Black Power movement, making headlines with its controversial rhetoric and militaristic style.

The main purpose of the party was to battel police brutality against African American people. In order to do that the party had to have people who could patrol the streets of Oakland and other cities. After two years the Panthers numbered about 2,000 people, who agreed to participate and fight for inequality and rights among white and black people.

However, after 16 years of being as party, in 1982 the Panthers Party stopped their mission due to party members’ involvement in violent activities with the police and violent activities within the party. Moreover, the FBI started to weaken the party’s actions by negatively affecting the relationships among black nationalist groups and by trying to destroy community programs created by the party.

Music played a significant role during this time when black people were fighting for rights and justice. Music had power; to fight, protect, and instill dreams of equality.

NINA SIMONE

Nina Simone was a singer, songwriter, pianist, and activist. She was someone who crossed the musical boundaries and spoke out against racism and injustice. Her songs included elements of Jazz, Blues, Folk, Rhythm and Blues, and Gospel.  As did many artists in the 1960s, Simone used her music to protest the treatment of the African American community. After she signed with Colpix records in the 1950s, she received full creative control over her work, which was thought to be an anomaly at the time, especially for a black female. Nina Simone’s lyrics strongly reflect the civil rights struggles of that day and age.

“Mississippi Goddam” by Nina Simone

“Mississippi Godman” was published on her album called “Nina Simone – in Concert”. She recorded the song in 1964 at Carnegie Hall and introduced this song as “a show tune, but the show hasn’t been written… yet”. The album was  based on recordings of three concerts she gave at Carnegie Hall. After she released Nina Simone in Concert, she strongly began to highlight the issues of the times in her music, while in earlier compositions she only slightly touched on racial inequality among African Americans. This album marked Simone as a Civil Rights singer in her recording career. The song was released as a single and later was announced as the anthem for the civil right movement. Because Simone incorporated the civil right message in this album, “Mississippi Goddam” became a political song.

“Mississippi Goddam is a “self-written composition” that took her only an hour to compose. Simone said: “When I heard about the bombing of the church in which the four little black girls were killed in Alabama, I shut myself up in a room and that song happened. Medgar Evers had been recently slain in Mississippi. At first, I tried to make myself a gun. I gathered some materials. I was going to take one of them out, and I didn’t care who it was. Then Andy, my husband at the time, said to me, ‘Nina, you can’t kill anyone. You are a musician. Do what you do.’ When I sat down the whole song happened. I never stopped writing until the thing was finished”.

The lyrics to this song strongly express her frustration and give listeners a glimpse into her feelings and emotions about the bombing:

     “Alabama’s gotten me so upset
     Tennessee made me lose my rest
     And everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam…

     Can’t you see it
     Can’t you feel it
     It’s all in the air
     I can’t stand the pressure much longer
     Somebody say a prayer”…

Simone finishes the song by (rhetorically) refereeing to white people and asking directly for equality:

 “You don’t have to live next to me
Just give me my equality…
Everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam” …

“Mississippi Goddam” become one the most critical pieces of her music. In one of the interviews she said that her song writing direction strongly shifted with “Mississippi Goddam”, because of what was happening in Alabama. So for the next seven years she was driven by civil rights movement. Not only that, she was hoping for the black revolution to happen. According the L.A record, she explained that she wrote this song with the purpose to show the “way of my people getting some justice for the first time in 300 years.” However, the song was banned in several Southern states, because of the word “goddam” in the title. Radio stations were refusing this record and returned all the records broken in half.

Charts:

• “Mississippi Goddam” as a song was not rated in any charts, however the album “Nina Simone in Concert” placed 94th out of the top 200 best albums of the 1960s, by the website Pitchfork.
•  In 1964 the same album took the position of 102 out of 200 by Billboard.

Nina Simone was a woman who made a significant impact on the legacy of civil right movement and musical industry. I loved how she said “With the arrival of the Panthers, black kids realized there were black heroes who would fight and die if necessary, to get what they wanted.” In 2019, the song was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the national Recording Registry the for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

“This song would go on to cement her status as the true singer of the civil rights movement.” -Stokely Carmichael-

“Free Bobby Now” by The Lumpen

The next song I will discuss is “Free Bobby Now” by the Lumpen. From mid 1970 until early 1971, the Black Panthers supported a musical group called the Lumpen. The band was short lived and was active for only 10 months. Party members Bill Calhoun, Clark (Santa Rita) Bailey, James Mott, Michael Torrance made up the Lumpen. As Michael Torrance pointed out: “Some folks don’t read, but everyone listens to music.” The name was suggested by The Party’s Minister of Culture, Emory Douglas which is short for “Lumpenproletariat” and drawn from a phrase created by the godfather of Communism, Karl Marx. The Lumpen describes the working class that could not realize class consciousness, thus provide them worthless in the pursuit of revolutionary struggle. During their time they released only one single and most of their music was actually covers of popular songs in which they changed the lyrics to use in the black power revolution.

The Lumpen member Bill Calhoun wrote the lyrics for “Free Bobby Now”. This song was better known as “Bobby Must Be Set Free”, because it was composed in order to protest the trial of Black Panthers chairman, Bobby Seale. Bobby was on trial in New Haven, Connecticut, for a trumped-up murder charge.

Here is Bobby Seale story in more depth. On May 21st, 1969, police found the body of 19-year-old Alex Rackley on a riverbank in Middlefield, CT. Rackley was a member of the Black Panther Party. At the time of Rackley’s murder, the organization had several thousand members operating in regional chapters in major American cities. The Panthers growth and their call for violent action against racist institutions made the Party a subject of investigations by local and federal law enforcement agencies. Some Party members, suspected Alex Rackley of being an FBI informant and therefore was murdered by people in the Black Panthers. Bobby Seale, national chairman of the Black Panther Party, and Ericka Huggins, head of the Party’s New Haven chapter, were charged by the state with conspiracy to kidnap and murder Rackley; the investigators sought the death penalty. Many ruminate that the charges against Seale and Huggins, neither of whom were present during the commission of the murder, were issued in an effort to destroy the Party, according Yale University Library article, 2019. On that day in 1970 there were 15,000 Panther Party members and their supporters in attendance to the protest trial in New Haven and to stand up for Bobby Seale.

Lyrics:

The song starts with an explanation of why Bobby went on the streets:

“He walked the streets and carried a gun, yea, yea, yea
To save his people, and family, yea
From those who’ve killed us for four hundred years” …

People ask for the GOD:

“Bobby must be set free
Good, God, almighty!
Set our chairman free!” …

People did not believe Bobby was guilty, that he did not murder his party member. They want to see their chairman FREE:

“They say that he killed a brother, yea, yea
But this we know just can’t be, yea
He’s proven his love for his people
That’s why, Bobby must be set free
Set the chairman free!”...

To wrap up I strongly encourage anyone to view the three minute video where  Rasheed Alli’s song “Black Power Revolution” presents the story of Black Power.

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

1. We Want Freedom. We Want Power To Determine The Destiny Of Our Black Community.
2. We Want Full Employment For Our People
3. We Want An End To The Robbery By The Capitalists Of Our Black Community.
4. We Want Decent Housing Fit For The Shelter Of Human Beings.
5. 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.
6. We Want All Black Men To Be Exempt From Military Service
7. We Want An Immediate End To Police Brutality And Murder Of Black People.
8. We Want Freedom For All Black Men Held In Federal, State, County And City Prisons And Jails
9. 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
10. 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
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

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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