Baller Alert’s Black History Month Facts – A Few Things You May Not Know About The Black Panthers

On Sunday night, many gathered around the television to watch Beyonce steal the Pepsi Superbowl Halftime show. As she called for all ladies to get in formation, we couldn’t help but notice that her background dancers were dressed as members of the Black Panther organization. 

While the song “Formation” is a powerful ode to owning and embracing your blackness, what many may not have realized is, Beyonce’s costume choice was very strategic. You see, 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of the Black Panthers, at Super Bowl 50, no less.

Huey Newton and Bobby Seale founded the Black Panther Party in October 1966. The organization was founded in Oakland, CA as a means of self-defense for minority communities against the U.S. government. 

In the media the Black Panther Party receives a bad rep, so I thought I’d share some positive points about the Black Panthers, including what they stood for. 

Black Panther Party’s 8 Points Of Attention 

1. Speak politely.

2. Pay fairly for what you buy.

3. Return everything you borrow.

4. Pay for anything you damage.

5. Do not hit or swear at people.

6. Do not damage property or crops of the poor, oppressed masses.

7. Do not take liberties with women.

8. If we ever have to take captives do not ill-treat them.

Black Panther Party’s 3 Main Rules of Discipline

1. Obey orders in all your actions.

2. Do not take a single needle or piece of thread from the poor and oppressed masses.

3. Turn in everything captured from the attacking enemy.

Rules of the Black Panther Party

1. No party member can have narcotics or weed in his possession while doing party work.

2. Any part member found shooting narcotics will be expelled from this party.

3. No party member can be drunk while doing daily party work.

4. No party member will violate rules relating to office work, general meetings of the Black Panther Party, and meetings of the Black Panther Party anywhere.

5. No party member will use, point, or fire a weapon of any kind unnecessarily or accidentally at anyone.

6. No party member can join any other army force, other than the Black Liberation Army.

7. No party member can have a weapon in his possession while drunk or loaded off narcotics or weed.

8. No party member will commit any crimes against other party members or black people at all, and cannot steal or take from the people, not even a needle or a piece of thread.

9. When arrested Black Panther members will give only name, address, and will sign nothing. Legal first aid must be understood by all Party members.

10. The Ten-Point Program and platform of the Black Panther Party must be known and understood by each Party member.

11. Party Communications must be National and Local.

12. The 10-10-10-program should be known by all members and also understood by all members.

13. All Finance officers will operate under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance.

14. Each person will submit a report of daily work.

15. Each Sub-Section Leaders, Section Leaders, and Lieutenants, Captains must submit Daily reports of work.

16. All Panthers must learn to operate and service weapons correctly.

17. All Leaders who expel a member must submit this information to the Editor of the Newspaper, so that it will be published in the paper and will be known by all chapters and branches.

18. Political Education Classes are mandatory for general membership.

19. Only office personnel assigned to respective offices each day should be there. All others are to sell papers and do Political work out in the community, including Captain, Section Leaders, etc.

20. Communications–all chapters must submit weekly reports in writing to the National Headquarters.

21. All Branches must implement First Aid and/or Medical Cadres.

22. All Chapters, Branches, and components of the Black Panther Party must submit a monthly Financial Report to the Ministry of Finance, and also the Central Committee.

23. Everyone in a leadership position must read no less than two hours per day to keep abreast of the changing political situation.

24. No chapter or branch shall accept grants, poverty funds, money or any other aid from any government agency without contacting the National Headquarters.

25. All chapters must adhere to the policy and the ideology laid down by the Central Committee of the Black Panther Party.

26. All Branches must submit weekly reports in writing to their respective Chapters.

The Black Panther fought for 10 simple points; employment for our people, end robbery, educate our people on their history, black men to be exempt from military services, immediate end to police brutality and murder of black people, promise of a fair trial or release of black men and women in federal prisons, land, bread, housing, education, justice and peace. 

As you can see, we haven’t quite gotten a lot of those things yet.

By the 70’s/80’s the FBI managed to tear the Black Panther Party down from the inside, using Panther Eldridge Cleaver as one of their targets. Cleaver was instrumental in leading the “Free Huey” movement when Huey Newton was jailed for killing an Oakland police officer. Years later, Cleaver started to receive stacks of forged FBI letters from supposed party members, criticizing Netwon’s leadership, and asking for Cleaver to take control. The domino effect of jealousy and planted hatred inevitably rips the party apart. 

You can continue to read more about the Black Panthers HERE. I found their story rather interesting.