The Black Panthers
Changes
• Media focused more
on extreme leaders
• mid 1960s USA was a
more violent place e.g.
Riots, Vietnam
protests
• 1966 new violent
protest group
emerged: Black
Panthers
New slogans: ‘I’M Black AND I’M PROUD’
• Now we demand a chance to do things for
ourself
We're tired of beatin' our head against the
wall
And workin' for someone else
We're people, we're just like the birds and the
bees
We'd rather die on our feet
Than be livin' on our knees
Say it loud, I'm black and I'm proud
The Black Panthers
• Why do you think they
choose this name for a
new party?
• Aim: defend Black
Americans from
whites
• Use of violence to
force change
• Freedom, better
housing, education,
release of black
prisoners
The Black Panthers
• Popular among Black
youths
• By 1968 there was a
branch in most cities
• Organised many
community
programmes
• Including Free health
clinics, clothes for
poor, breakfast for
children, campaigns to
stop drugs
FBI
• Members involved
in violent shootings
• Many offices were
raided
• However can be
argued some of the
violence blamed on
the Panthers was
deliberate to
weaken the party
FBI
• Called the Black
organisations ‘ Black
Nationalist Hate
groups’
• Disrupted meetings
and caused divisions
within the Black
Panther Party
• FBI destroyed free
breakfast programme
• Argued that they were
protecting law and
order
How important were the Black Panthers?
• Many supported their
ideas
• However many Black
Americans not
prepared to use
violence
• By 1969, 27 Panthers
were dead and over
700 in prison
• Lost influence when
quarrels broke out
within group