The History of the Black Panther Party
The intention in the following pages is to explore the history of the Black Panther Party from its origins during the 1960s. There are those who identify the Black Panther Party with the present day militia movement, but their origins are quite different, even though their methods and intentions might seem to be similar.
Although the Black Panther Party is probably most associated in memory with the large urban cities of the north, it had its birth in the rural south. That birth was an outgrowth of white resistance in the south to any inclusion of black Americans in the structures of power.
Essentially, the Black Panther Party had its genesis in the work of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee's efforts to enable black citizens to participate in the political process. The term "Black Power," had already been generated in regard to the development of black economic and political influence on the larger society. This had created a great deal of fearful reaction on the part of white Americans in both North and South.
The Black Panther Party was to become even a greater source of fear for white Americans. It began, however, because white Americans in the South refused to allow any black candidates to participate in the political process. The SNCC organizers in Lowndes County had attempted to ensure black inclusion in both the voting and candidating process, but had been denied opportunities by the local Democratic party. Since the Democratic party would not allow blacks to run in the Democratic primary, SNCC decided to encourage the formation of the new party, which would provide black people with that opportunity. That party was termed the Black Panther Party, and it had its birth in the south of 1966.
One of the main organizers at that time, John Jackson, talked about the development of the party. He noted that blacks found out that state law allowed for the inclu...