Violence In The Black Panthers

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A Violent Approach to Civil Rights The Black Panther Party for Self Defense was formed on October 15, 1966 in Oakland, California. They were largely inspired by Malcolm X, a famous member of the Nation of Islam, and desired violence if provoked. The Nation of Islam had three main beliefs, these were having black pride, being self-reliant, and black nationalism. The Black Panthers shared these beliefs and were very passionate about carrying them out with loaded guns. These ideas contradicted Martin Luther King’s nonviolent beliefs. Therefore the Black Panther Party was significant because it showed the country that not all groups had the same theories and for some, non violence was unsatisfactory, frustrating, and unsuccessful. The Black Panther …show more content…

They believed that the police was the government because police officers were all they saw of law enforcement. Whenever they looked at the police, they saw violence and racism, so they believed violence was the only way to monitor the police. As Huey Newton proclaimed: “political power comes through the barrel of a gun” (Turner, 66). Newton, one of the founders of the Black Panthers, obviously believed that violence was the appropriate response to being a successful political party. The Black Panthers, “whom the government had tried in every way to malign and destroy,” were primarily known for their violent philosophy (Zinn, 542). However, they emphasized that they were only violent in self defense. In fact, their symbol, the panther, “was chosen because the Panther never attacks unless cornered, and the African-American community of the 1960s felt cornered” (Brenner, 1). In a manner, the forming of the Black Panthers was self defense for the African American community. Although the Black Panthers believed in violence, they felt that they were justified because they were acting only in self defense due to police brutality and and the frustration of