Remarkable.

In 1969 and 1970, in Chicago, a city with twice as many whites as blacks, police killed 59 black people as opposed to 19 white people.

All across urban America police regularly visited black neighbourhoods to murder blacks on flimsy pretences and spurious evidence, all without repercussions or chance of redress.

Even civilian whites could murder innocent blacks without any chance of conviction.

Cops routinely barged into black houses, including those of the families of those they'd murdered, without any thought of producing a warrant.

The fact that none of this was something I was solidly aware of, but that I was aware of the negative image of the Panthers spread by their previous allies and fellow travellers after their breif heyday, just goes to show how effective the illegal actions of the FBI in sabotaging the group were.

After the sewing up of the legal loophole that allowed the Panthers to carry guns to publicly police the police, they encouraged people to keep guns at home, and several times this helped them to see off the illegal entry of police attempting to intimidate the families of those the police had murdered.

The Panthers ran a very successful 24 hour ambulance service, with members qualifying as paramedics. They ran a bus service so urban black people could visit relatives in prisons.

They ran free breakfast clubs for children extensively (the police even raided these), and educational programs.

They responded immediately, effectively, and with passion, to the needs of the people, for little or no reward, and frequently at the risk of their own lives, while the FBI used every dirty trick and illegal manoeuvre, including assassination, infiltration, and the instigation of torture and murder against them.

The ridiculous thing, demonstrated by this book, is that the height of oppression generated influence and
respect for the Panthers, that the more repression thrown against them, the more recruits were generated.

If the terrified racists in power, from Hoover on down, had instead provided to black neighbourhoods safety, reasonable redress, effective public services etc, the Panthers radical political stance would have had no support.

Fascists are fools.

The Panther's remarkable and compelling reimagining of the position of black Americans, and their unbeleivably brave stand to protect their communities is a breathtaking show of what people can do when they value each other.

The argument of this book is that ultimately what ended the Panthers wasn't their enemies in the state, but their effectiveness. They were an extreme reaction to an extreme problem, and as the pressure eased, support waned.

I'm glad to have read this balanced and comprehensive history of a remarkable Group 🙂

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just the facts. <br />

although it is a well trodden road. this is a well researched and concise price of work.

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3 people found this helpful

Gives another insight of the Panthers

This was a very gripping book that gave in my opinion a balanced view of the positive and negative aspects of The Panthers. The narration was wonderful, all I can say is that I would recommend this book for anybody who wants to gain a greater understanding The Panthers.

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