Huey Percy Newton was born on February 17, 1942, in Monroe, Louisiana, United States. His father was Walter Newton and his mother was Armelia Johnson. He was married to Gwen Fontaine until the year 1983 when he divorced her. He then, later on, got married to Fredrika Newton until the year he died which was in 1984. Huey P. Newton was a civil rights activist and was a great contribution to American history. He fought for the rights of Black people and was considered a person to look up to, along with Dr. King and Malcolm X. He risked his life for Black people, and he wasn't scared of anyone. He co-founded the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, that gave Black people their rights and he co-founded the Oakland Community School. He went to school …show more content…
He read the works of Karl Marx, Malcolm X, and Vladimir Lenin which influenced him as a person. He also had a drug problem. He once used state funds that were for the Panther-sponsored school to pay for his drugs, and he received charges in 1982 and the party broke up. He also murdered a police officer named John Frey. Huey was also convicted on many illegal firearm possessions. Huey also wrote a book called Revolutionary Suicide in 1973. The quality that was most beneficial to Huey P. Newton was that he only spoke the truth and when he believed something was wrong, he was brave enough to speak about it. American rapper Tupac had also referred to him in his song, “Changes.” His contribution to society has made a huge impact on how African-Americans are treated today. Some of his most famous quotes are, “My fear was not of death itself, but a death without meaning.” and, “I think what motivates people is not great hate, but great love for other people.” His bravery had sometimes put him in hard conditions and he was later shot by a member of the Black Guerilla Family (BGF) on August 22, 1989. The Black Guerilla Family was a street gang back in