Short Summary
- The Black Panther Party was started by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale in October 1966 as a response to police brutality and injustices faced by African Americans in urban ghettos.
- They organized armed patrols to monitor police officers and gained national attention after a protest in 1967.
- The party issued a list of ten beliefs and values, including full employment, decent housing, and an end to police brutality.
- By 1968, the party had a presence in over twenty major American cities with membership numbers as high as 10,000.
- They also started community-friendly programs such as the Free Breakfast for Children Program, providing services like free medical care and drug rehabilitation.
- However, the FBI viewed them as a threat and targeted them for investigation, leading to a decline in their influence by the 1970s.
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