September 12 1970

## Overview and Context

#### **Historical Contextualization**

In February, A jury found the Chicago Seven defendants not guilty of conspiring to incite a riot charges from the violence at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Bobby Seale, one of the men on trial, was a co-founder of the Black Panther Party and one of its most notable members.

In March, thousands of demonstrators gathered against the trial of the New Haven Nine and Bobby Seale. This created momentum for the Black Panther Party, whose mainstream media presence increased significantly.

Throughout the year, Vietnam War tensions also catapulted the Black Panther Party into political discussion, especially in regards to the military.

The Black Panther Party utilized their newspaper to continually publish their list of ten platform goals to reemphasize their missions and distribute information to their readers. The ten point platform was drafted by Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton.

## Political Negligence and Injustice

#### **"Five Year Old Black Child Attacked By Mentally Deranged Maniac"**

The first article featured in this publication is "Five Year Old Black Child Attacked By Mentally Deranged Maniac" and it recounts the instance of a mentally ill individual brutalizing a black child. The author emphasizing how California Governor Reagan's decreased funding for mental health institutions disproportionately affects black communities. Yvonne Wilson was a five year old child who suffered internal bleeding, an injury initially ignored by police because there was no severe visible abrasions. The article also touches on the disadvantages black communities have when it comes to security; the public area Yvonne Wilson was playing in was not guarded off and was exposed to the outside streets.

#### **"Bobby's Appeal"**

This is the seventh part of a series detailing the trial of Bobby Seale, the aforementioned co-founder of the party, who is dealing with unfair treatment within a system the Black Panther Party's describes as already unjust towards black people. A judge was "personally embroiled" within a case and therefore the defendant was entitled was a trial by a new judge. This trial was especially important and part of an ongoing effort to defend the members of the party from the justice system.

## Police Brutality

#### **"Black People, Wake Up To The Conditions We Live In"**

The second piece featured is an op-ed in which a member of the Boston Chapter of the Black Panther Party calls for black people to acknowledge and fight against the tactics used by police to create submission within their communities. Schools are used as an example, detailing imagery in which rats overrun the lunchroom and the faulting air conditioning/heating system causes black children to become ill. The police are frequently referred to as "blood-sucking" and "pigs" throughout the editorial piece.

#### **"Pigs And Other Reactionary Elements Harass Community Workers While Selling Papers"**

This article recounts an event in which the police and community members engaged in combat. One black man and one officer was wounded in the process. The author discussed the community's relationship with police officers, while also creating a call to action to alert the people of the tactics used by police and urging them to organize together in defense.

#### **"Pigs Brutalize People Of West Oakland Once Again"**

A group of police acted aggressively and violently towards a black woman. The article touches on the tactics used by police to maintain control, i.e. using pain to elicit answers from the woman.

#### **"14 Year Old Black Youth Slain By Pig In Atlanta, Georgia"**

A child was killed by police. There was a stark difference between the testimonies recounted by police and eyewitnesses, with the latter complaining that the police utilized aggression and verbal harassment. The piece also touches on the general negligence police exhibit when a suspect is in custody, as the lieutenant arrived 45 minutes late to the scene, meaning the boy was not taken to the hospital as quickly as possible. He was dead on arrival at the hospital.

#### **"Black GI Victim of Racist MP's Attack At Fort Hood, Texas"**

In this open letter to black people, a man named Pvt. Ralph El. Lovelace recounts his experience with police aggression following his arrest after being accused of starting a riot. It includes details of police calling him racial slurs and threatening him with expressions like, "Now you know not to mess with us."

#### **"Racist Pigs Brutalize And Kidnap Mother Of Toldeo N.C.C.F. Community Worker"**

The author recounts an instance of police aggression and police violence against a black community member. The article describes a detailed timeline of her treatment before and during police custody, which includes consistent harassment and degradation. It frequently describes the police behavior as fascist, and towards the end there is a very explicit call to arms.

#### **"Racism.. In Trenton, New Jersey"**

This article details the experience of a group of black people with racism that escalated into a police encounter. It describes how police became involved before and after the people fled, and also details the community reaction, highlighting the actions taken political figures, specifically the Mayor of Trenton, to defend the initial white aggressors.

#### **""Steel' Held In Bridgeport, Conn. For a $100,000 Ransom"**

This serves to bring public attention to a black man who was arrested on charges of possessing explosives. The usage of "ransom" rather than "bond" is a testament to the relations between the Black Panther Party and law enforcement and the justice system.

## Political and Revolutionary Action

#### **"The People And The People Alone Were The Motive Force In The Making Of History Of The People's Revolutionary Constitutional Convention Plenary Session!"**

This article focused on a specific event in which a gathering a group of a thousand Babylon citizens There is an image of a woman holding up her arm, which had been twisted and gripped by a police officer. met at Temple University to meet and discuss revolutionary politics. The group was disrupted by police who repeatedly tried to prevent the gathering from occurring and then physically sabotaged the participants and their offices.

The meeting, which was held regardless, discussed the current United States Constitution and how it oppresses people of color. They discussed creating a new constitution specifically for black people to prevent further oppression and correct the current disparities. The piece also discusses how black people, women, and other oppressed peoples deserve proportional representation and will be guaranteed such under the People's Constitution.

## Military and World Conflict

#### **"Brothers, Sisters, Comrades..."**

This open letter is directed specifically towards black people within the Black Panther Party, and it specifically focuses on one man's experience with the United States military as an extension of the police state. He recounts his experiences, which include being arrested and interacting with various members of the military and police, including a black man, which he refers to as a "so-called brother" in a derogatory manner. The letter also repeatedly calls the U.S. military fascist, as well as the government fascist. He frequently refers to himself as a prisoner of the current system as well as a prisoner of the military.

#### **"Revolutionary Greetings To R.P.C.C"**

This excerpt is included within the newspaper to demonstrate the international support for the Black Panther Party while also exhibiting how liberation movements often work tangentially with one another. The Revolutionary Peoples Constitutional Convention and the Palestine Solidarity Committee stand with one another in the fight against oppression of all oppressed people.

## Links and Resources

Bobby Seale Wikipedia Biography

PBS website, A Huey P. Newton Story

Britannica biography, Ronald Reagan as Governor