John, today marks a significant anniversary of something sacred to the Black community.
56 years ago in October 1966, the Black Panther Party was founded in Oakland, California by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. The Black Panthers tirelessly advocated for Black liberation and fought against police brutality.
The mark they left on American culture and the world allowed for our movement for Black lives today. We strive to continue their work that was always for the people and by the people – work that empowered our communities in various ways.
While the Black Panther legacy lives on through our movement, our work, and our communities, unfortunately,
various leaders from the party remain political prisoners, despite the government's clear racism against them. Many of them even lost their lives while incarcerated.
Black Panthers faced excessive criminal charges with false or non-existent evidence. They were tortured and coerced into confession to doing crimes they had nothing to do with. Jury members during trials were also coerced into lying – all to incriminate Black Panthers.
Too many Black Panther leaders have fallen ill or even lost their lives imprisoned.
Today, there are *at least* 12 Black Panther members (that we know of) still imprisoned, and it’s on us to advocate for their release. Sign on to our petition demanding the release of ALL Black Panthers >>
The Black Panthers transformed our communities through various social programs, no-cost medical clinics, and free breakfast programs for kids in disadvantaged neighborhoods. These programs became so popular that the government later adopted some of the practices and are the reason why we have free lunch programs across the country.
But of course, the work of the Black Panthers was overshadowed by white supremacy. Former President Hoover even went so far as to call the free breakfast program (not the self-defense aspect) as “the greatest threat to internal security of the country.” Former President Nixon had them on his “enemies list,” all while waging a drug war that disproportionately impacted Black folks and is the reason for the U.S. leading in mass incarceration.
We will not allow white supremacy to overshadow the truth about the Black Panthers and their legacy.
Too many Black Panther leaders have fallen ill or even lost their lives imprisoned.
We also will not allow Black Panthers to continue to live the end of their previous lives wrongly incarcerated. Sign on the petition to demand their immediate release now >>
Today and everyday, our movement works from the shoulders of our ancestors and continues on with that same fight.
We safeguard our history pridefully, not only because it shows us the progress we've made as a movement, but because it serves as a reminder of how much work that's yet to be done.
In love and solidarity,
Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation
