Research Essay: Black Power Movement and Black Panther Party

This research essay will discuss the rise  of the Black Power Movement in the United States of America, the impact it had on civil society and legislation and the formation of the Black Panther Party.

In the 1950s and 1970s, the USA was segregated by race. People of colour had to attend different schools,lived in segregated communities,restaurants and sit in a completely different section on public transport. Along with this discimination, black Americans were treated less than through laws that were passed. Violence against people of colour by police was at its peak. Police brutality was the order of the day.

Black nationalists were not happy with the pace of Martin Luther King Jr civil rights movement. Martin Luther King Jr  led change through nonviolent civil rights using sit-ins, civil disobedience and peaceful protests. They felt that change was not fast enough to drive the revolution black people wanted. Black natioanlist suggested violence and force  to achieve equality and power.

The start of the idea of the Black Power Movement was after Stokely Carmichael used the slogan “Black Power” (king institute.stanford university)

The Black Power Movement was the ideology of “ racial pride, self- sufficiency, and equality.”(Digital Public Library of America : Black power movement  by Lakisha Odlum, New York City Department of Education)

The black power movement was built on strong ideologies and voices of self sufficiency and empowerment. A person that played a major role in the foundation  of the Black power movement’s voice, was Malcolm X. Malcolm X was a passionate public speaker,civil rights supporter and minister

 (History.com:Malcolm X, 29 October  2009)

He provided a counter movement to the civil rights movement to that of  Martin Luther KIng Jr. Malcolm X supported the idea of using violence to attain equality, power and to defend black people.A quote by Malcolm X was "By any means necessary.” While Martin Luther King Jr worked on nonviolence and multiracial movements(Al Jazeera.com, 21 February  2018. Malcolm X: From Nation of Islam to Black Power Movement)

The Black Panther Party was founded in 1966 by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale. The Black Panthers were a militant self-defence group. The goal of the Black Panthers was to protect the black communities and promote Black Power. The practice of the Black Panthers was influenced by the late Malcolm X. The Black Panthers served as protectors against police brutality  and were role models to the community. ( Marxists Internet Archive (marxists.org),  2002  by Brian Basgen)

For the white people in America  the idea of the Black Panthers was a scary thought. They were seen as negative. The black panthers did not hide.q they had their unique look: Black  leather jackets, black berets and guns. To white people they were a gang who wanted to take over America but to the black community the Black Panthers were Freedom fighters.

(web.stanford.edu,1990 by Clayborne Carson and David Malcolm Carson)

The Black Panthers goal was not only to protect but improve their community.The Black Panthers ran more than 35 survival programs to help the community, for example Free Breakfast for Children Program and tutoring children. This was to ensure that black children were educated.

(Britannica.com: Black Panther Party,  by Garrett Albert Duncan)

The Black Panthers were organised and knew what they wanted for black people in America.They drew up a 10 point plan. In this plan they wanted an end to police brutality, jobs and housing for black people and equality for all.

(History.com: Black Panthers, November 3 2017 written by History.com editors)

The Black Panthers Party brought about an accelerated change to the lives of people of colour in America. Access to education, housing and social services improved dramatically for black Americans. The standard of living and black pride improved due to the 10 point plan of the Black Panthers Party.