The Black Panther and the Nation of Islam

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The Black Panther and the Nation of Islam

• By Jordan Schnorr, Rebecca Melvin, Gwendolyn
  Brown, and Sean Espinosa

2
The Black Panther Party (BPP)

• Originally called The Black Panther Party for
  Self-Defense
• Formed October 1966 in Oakland California by Huey
  P. Newton and Bobby Seale
• The 2 main purposes of the BPP
• give the African American people power to make
  a change when no progress was being made for
  colored citizens
• to protect local communities from racial police
  brutalities (some incidents included shoot-outs
  between the two groups)
• It was a party that was directly involved with
  the Black Liberation Movement
• Party is still active and is know as The New
  Black Panther Party

The Original Six
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Inside the BPP

• Members were taught discipline to enable a system
  of organization
• Only African Americans could be members
• Ideals were based on the Socialist principles and
  the ways of Malcolm X
• Party had a 10 Step Program which states the
  rules and ways in which the party would create
  change
• Eventually the group evolved into a Marxist
  revolutionary group
• As membership grew, it became a national icon for
  the counterculture of the 1960s.
• The Black Panther promoted Black Power throughout
  the U.S. against social agitation

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Rawww. The Black Panthers

• Black Panther Theory
• Many of the practices of the Black Panthers came
  from the ways of the radical activist Malcolm X.
  Part of this theory included being an outstanding
  role model, someone who sought to bring about
  positive social services something the Black
  Panthers would take to new heights. The Panthers
  followed Malcolm's belief of international
  working class unity across the spectrum of color
  and gender, and thus united with various minority
  and white revolutionary groups.

• Black Panther Mission Statement
• The Panthers practiced militant self-defense of
  minority communities against the U.S. government,
  and fought to establish revolutionary socialism
  through mass organizing and community based
  programs. The party was one of the first
  organizations in U.S. history to militantly
  struggle for ethnic minority and working class
  freedom and equality. They were a party whose
  agenda was the revolutionary establishment of a
  real economic, social, and political equality
  across gender and color.

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Black Child's Pledge

• I pledge allegiance to my Black People.I pledge
  to develop my mind and body to the greatest
  extent possible.I will learn all that I can in
  order to give my best to my People in their
  struggle for liberation.I will keep myself
  physically fit, building a strong body free from
  drugs and other substances which weaken me and
  make me less capable of protecting myself, my
  family and my Black brothers and sisters.I will
  unselfishly share my knowledge and understanding
  with them in order to bring about change more
  quickly.I will discipline myself to direct my
  energies thoughtfully and constructively rather
  than wasting them in idle hatred.I will train
  myself never to hurt or allow others to harm my
  Black brothers and sisters for I recognize that
  we need every Black Man, Woman, and Child to be
  physically, mentally and psychologically
  strong.These principles I pledge to practice
  daily and to teach them to others in order to
  unite my People.
• The Black Panther, October 26, 1968
• by Shirley Williams
•  

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Malcolm X

• Black Panther used his principles to govern its
  party
• Is the most well known radical political activist
• Due to a difficult childhood, he chose to convert
  to the religion of Islam
• While imprisoned, he converted to the Black
  Muslim Faith
• Played major roles in several liberation
  movements and was a primary advocate for the
  Nation of Islam
• Had a falling out with another leader of the NOI
  Elijah Muhammad
• Was assassinated in Harlem by three gunmen who
  were associated with NOI

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The Nation Of Islam

• Religious group founded in Detroit, Michigan in
  1930 by Wallace Dodd Fard
• Its goal was to bring back the spiritual,
  economic and social well being of the black
  community
• The NOI had a central belief that God would bring
  a universal government of peace
• Afrocentric organization founded in 1930 by
  Wallace Dodd Fard
• The movement was a sharply disciplined one.
  Members had strict rules to follow
• Eating (various foods, such as pork, were
  forbidden),
• smoking and drinking (both banned),
• dress and appearance (conservative, neat clothing
  and good grooming were required), and
• kinds of personal behavior (drugs, the use of
  profanity, gambling, listening to music, and
  dancing were all outlawed).
• Had two great, strong and powerful advocates
  including Malcolm X and Elijah Muhammad

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Elijah Muhammad

• Elijah Muhammad was born Elijah (or Robert) Poole
  on October 7, 1897, near Sandersville, GA
• became early disciple of W.D. Fard, the founder
  of the Nation of Islam.
• After the mysterious disappearance of Fard,
  Muhammad became the new leader of the Nation Of
  Islam
• Advocated an independent nation for African
  Americans
• Early leader Elijah Muhammad taught that the
  white race was created 6,000 years ago by a
  renegade black scientist named Yakub
• Clashed with Malcolm X
• Built the most important center of the movement
  in Chicago including a Temple of Islam, a
  Newspaper called Muhammad speaks and the
  University of Islam.

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Web site

• Noel, Peter. "New Black Panther Party for
  Self-Defense ". The Anti-Defimation League.
  April 20,2009 lthttp//www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/Bl
  ack_Panther.asp?LEARN_CatExtremis mLEARN_SubCat
  Extremism_in_Americaxpicked3itemBlack_Panther
• Acoli, Sundiata . "A Brief History of the Black
  Panther Party. Its Place in the Black Liberation
  Movement". Sundiata Acoli Freedom Campaign, 1995.
  April 20, 2009 lthttp//www.hartford-hwp.com/archi
  ves/45a/004.htmlgt.
• Da Costa, Fransico. "The Black Panther Party".
  April 20, 2009 lthttp//www.franciscodacosta.com/a
  rticles/BPP.htmlgt.
• Basgen, Brian. History of the Black Panther
  Party. Marxists Internet Archive (marx.org),.
  April 20, 2009 lthttp//www.marxists.org/history/us
  a/workers/black-panthers/gt.
• "Nation Of Islam". Discover The Net Works. April
  20,2009 lthttp//www.discoverthenetworks.org/group
  Profile.asp?grpid6600gt. Biography Resource
  Center, "Elijah Muhammad". Gale Group, Inc..
  April 20, 2009 lthttp//africawithin.com/bios/elij
  ah_muhammad.htmgt.