The Black Panther Party And The Legacy of Community Building

by JN

“No one goes without. That was her rule. Everyone was equal under her roof. I remember her having so many different people she’d let stay with her just because they had nowhere else to stay.” Reflects the grandchild of Bernadette Richardson, a member of TPP who requested to remain anonymous. “I remember her not liking some of them personally, but not liking someone was never a good reason for them to the in the cold. That stuck with me, I think.” Bernadette Richardson was a member of the Black Panther Party, one of—if not the— most revolutionary organizations in American history. The Black Panther Party (1966-1982) was an organization founded during the 1960’s Black Power movement— a “second civil rights movement” that centered around community building in Black American culture and the dissolvement of white-supremacy.

Their foundation was built upon a mix of Marxism and Leninism ideals, creating a “Ten-Point program” that lays out their methods to create an equitable state of living for all people, especially the marginalized (Cleaver). Although in pop culture they are notorious for their open-carry of firearms, their most accomplished deeds lie within mutual aid. Programs such as the Free Food Programs (which in 1972 distributed over 10,000 bags of groceries out to Oakland,California’s community), Children’s free Breakfast Program, Free Clothing, etc. all had massive impacts on the underserved Black, disenfranchised, and minority communities (BPPALN). Although unattributed, these programs deeply influenced modern day government aid programs such as medical care in schools, free school lunch, and modern knowledge on sickle cell anemia and STD prevention.

“A lot of folks want to do something quick and easy and post it online to get praise,” states our anonymous member. “Real progress will be quiet and ongoing and hard.” As we face an ongoing rise in individualism and fascism in modern America, many people find themselves desperate to involve themselves in mutual aid work and community building, much like the Black Panther Party. “I have no doubt we are capable of such work…you know what they say, the revolution will not be televised.” Which is undoubtedly true, as rally’s that have taken place over the past month—such as Decarcerate KC’s “No Taxation for Incarceration” rally and the “No cop nation, No fascist state” rally hosted on the steps of KCPD Headquarters by a collection of KC organizations found a severe lack in news coverage.

“She died 12 years ago, and stopped being a panther long before I was born, but she still left an activist mark on me.” Says our anonymous member in closing. “I don’t think you have to be in any party to make change, but change is easier in a party. If you can’t find a group that shares your values, be your own group. Your values will soon spread. Hers did.”

A more in depth overview about the Black Panther Party can be found in our earlier post entitled “Black Panther Party: An Overview of America’s most Revolutionary Organizations.”

Citations

“BPPALN.Org Black Panther Party Alumni Legacy Network.” Black Panther Party Alumni Legacy Network, Black Panther Party Alumni Legacy Network, bppaln.org

Cleaver, Eldridge. “On The Ideology of the Black Panther Party.” Oakland, California, Oct. 1969.