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John, we all know the Black Panther Party was revolutionary in their heyday.
Their imagery, actions, and programs are key to the way that we think about Black liberation and Black power. They are a guiding light as we look toward the future and as we work to achieve global liberation through abolition.
Basically, they’re the sh*t and it’s hard af to pick just one thing that the Black Panther Party achieved that stands out.
But on January 20 in 1969—very different than the one we’re about to experience in 2025— the Black Panther Party's Free Breakfast for School Children Program debuted.
In 1969, the idea that every child deserved food was believe it or not—risky, radical politics.
The idea that to properly learn one must have their basic needs met, including being fed and not hungry—was radical.
Even without the extensive scientific studies that we have now to back them up, the Black Panther Party saw the gap and took action where our government sat back and watched children go hungry. They exposed the lie of the system—that capitalism—with all of its excesses—would eventually “trickle down” to poor folks.
Within a year of the launch of the Free Breakfast Program, the Party was feeding 20,000 children across the country five days a week.
Only AFTER the government destroyed the Black Panther Party through surveillance, COINTELPRO, targeted harassment, and assassinations, did they make official a national free breakfast program.
Our ancestors, including the revolutionary leaders of the Black Panther Party, have given us the tools and methods to achieve Black liberation. These haven’t changed since the 1960s.
We have always been able to push the culture forward and that doesn’t change now. We must remember AND celebrate that in the next four years.
We’re not going to keep our heads down. We’re not going to lose hope. And most importantly we’re not going to neglect what we have left to do and how much farther we have left to go.
We’re going to keep organizing and advocating to build political power around the next generation of abolitionist policies like the Free Breakfast Program.
As we look toward the future, we strive to create new possibilities and new realities like the Black Panther Party.
While we remain committed to confronting the systemic issues that lead to Black death, we’re equally focused on creating avenues for Black lives to truly thrive. A world where Black people can thrive, and not be defined by their struggles.
That’s why we’ve been hard at work putting dollars directly in the hands of Black people and Black-led organizations—over $35 million to date.
Support our work—and our ability to spearhead the next chapter in systems-changing policies like the Free Breakfast Program—by chipping in what you can today.
In solidarity,
Black Lives Matter
Our grassroots movement is pushing for Black liberation every single day. We are striving to create a world where Black people do so much more than just survive. It’s time we thrive.
As an organization one of our biggest hurdles is consistency.
A recurring contribution of anything you can afford goes a long way as we plan for the months, years, and even decades ahead. This is the most effective way for small-dollar donors (like you) to power our Black liberation work.
Will you make a recurring contribution of $5 or more today so that we can keep building momentum for our movement?
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