Jane Week #12 - Black Panther
Seale and Newton (Duncan).
When we think of “Black Panther” now, we think of the chant “Wakanda forever” and Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa. Black Panther, however, has also historically represented a “revolutionary organization” created amidst the height of the “Black Power movement” (“The Black”).
The Black Panther Party was founded locally, on October 15, 1966, in Oakland, California “by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale” (Duncan). The organization had original goals of fighting against police brutality, but eventually evolved into a “Marxist revolutionary group” based on ideologies of “Black nationalism, socialism, and armed self-defense” (Duncan; “The Black”).
College students Newton and Seale created the original Black Panther Party for Self-Defense because of the grand scale socioeconomic inequality Black Americans faced “throughout North American” as well as the “assassination of Malcolm X in 1965” (Duncan). The Black Panther Party immediately set itself apart from “cultural nationalists” by acknowledging that while “symbolic systems, like language and imagery” were important, they would not be the true force behind liberation; they believed material issues caused by capitalism, like joblessness, could not be solved through symbols (Duncan).
Allying with “progressive white radicals and other organizations” of people of color, the Black Panther Party soon quickly posed a threat to American capitalism by advocating that capitalism was the root of all issues, and social progress was not possible without bringing the system to an end (Duncan). As the organization began gaining international allies, it even got on the radar of the FBI, which felt threatened by this supposed opposition to “national security” (Duncan).
The Black Panther Party went on to march against a “gun control bill” that would harm its fight against police brutality; create thirty-five “Survival Programs” that aided Black Americans with education, health, legal issues, access to food, and more; and inspire chapters across forty-eight states and three other continents (Duncan). Feeling imperiled, the FBI declared the Black Panther Party a “communist organization and an enemy of the U.S. government” (Duncan).
The FBI’s COINTELPRO program and the group’s unstable leadership eventually led to the “dissolution” of the Black Panther Party (Duncan). Particularly the former, the FBI employed “agent provocateurs, sabotage, misinformation, and lethal force” to bring down the group, and the measures came to be considered so extreme that the agency eventually issued an apology “for ‘wrongful uses of power’” (Duncan).
Despite its ending, the Black Panther Party and its impact cannot be denied. The party had been a significant contributor to the Civil Rights Movement of the twentieth century and provided many Black Americans the resources they were not able to afford. The organization has also inspired many other civil rights and social justice movements, like “Yellow Panthers” of Vietnam and the “Vanguard Party” of the Bahamas (Duncan). Its impact on Black social progress can also be seen through its continued legacy of the Black Panther Militia and the New Black Panther Party (Duncan).
Although the shared name between the Black Panther Party and Marvel’s Black Panther happened to be sheer coincidence, with the character having been created before the founding of the group (Marvel even tried changing the superhero’s name to “‘Black Leopard’” to “escape the name’s radical political connotations” which did not stick), the franchise’s eventual delve into political race-related issues made the moniker fitting for the titular character (Mattimore).
Works Cited
“The Black Panther Party.” National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, www.archives.gov/research/african-americans/black-power/black-panthers. Accessed 24 February 2025.
Duncan, Garrett Albert. “Black Panther Party.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 12 February 2014, www.britannica.com/topic/Black-Panther-Party. Accessed 26 February 2025.
Mattimore, Ryan. “The Real History behind the Black Panther.” History.Com, A&E Television Networks, 15 February 2018, www.history.com/news/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panther. Accessed 26 February 2025.
Hi Jane, when I was scrolling through the blogs after reading two other ones, I noticed yours. You mention how “Black Panther” is now typically associated with the Marvel character, but due to your fitting thumbnail, I knew that this was about the civil rights organization and was intrigued. So, of course, I read it (how else would I be writing this), and I honestly enjoyed the depth of information you included. I had heard about the Black Panthers before and knew some information about them, but your blog was a great way for me to keep learning more. I will admit, I was anticipating a political take at some point, but I enjoyed this nonetheless. Learning about the FBI’s actions and their COINTELPRO operations was very insightful and it brings into mind a few parallels with the current government. Overall, your blog was enjoyable for its informative content, and if you were to improve something, I would recommend tweaking some phrasing to make the objects being discussed more clear.
ReplyDeleteHello, Jane! Your blog was so organized and easy to read and digest. I really appreciated the work cited as well as constant references to your articles. It made your blog seem really credible and legitimate. I did not know that “The Black Panther” had such a deep connection within history. I always thought it was another marvel super hero conjured from the minds of comic writers. Your blog educated me about The Black Panther Party. Looking back at the movie it now strikes me as more complex. I was poorly informed of the history of the movie and reading your blog allowed me a deeper understanding of the film and its origins. Thank you for your blog and I hope to ready from you more!
ReplyDeleteHey Jane. Your blog was a fantastic read, and I’ve always been fascinated by the Black Panther movement and Malcolm X. One of the books that I have the fondest memories of is The Rock and River, which chronicles the life of a young boy growing up being influenced by the Black Panther Party. The cause they fought for was always righteous, but the methods in doing so remain controversial. However, when reading the novel it’s hard not to view the members of the party with admiration, even though their methods of achieving equality aren’t as good as Dr. King’s. To this day I always look at those who died while fighting for the Black Panther Party as martyred in a way, because they were fighting for a just cause.
ReplyDeleteI first wanted to say thank you for your detailed blog. I haven’t seen a blog so far that has so much detailed information regarding the historical background of any topic, ever. I especially appreciate your unbiased stance while writing about the Black Panther party, as it’s easy to take a stance for or against the Party. Your specific details regarding its founding and government response were new information to me, and to be honest this blog is very informative overall.
I really appreciate the informative blog, which is something that we seldom see, and it is an amazing read, thank you for your work!