The East Community Guide - Gainesville, FL Jan 2019 the east take 4 | Page 4

1. The Black Panthers’ central guiding principle was an “undying love for
the people.”
2. The Black Panthers outlined their goals in a 10-point program.
The Black Panthers established a unified platform and their goals
for the party were outlined in a 10-point plan that included demands
for freedom, land, housing, employment and education, among other
important objectives.
3. Black Panthers monitored the behavior of the police in black
communities.
4. The party grew tremendously and drew attention in cities everywhere.
5. “Free Huey” became an infectious rallying cry following Huey Newton’s arrest in
1967. In 1967, Newton was charged in the fatal shooting of a 23-year-old police
officer.
6. The Black Panthers affirmed black beauty, which helped to attract more members.
The sight of black men and women unapologetically sporting their afros, berets and
leather jackets had a special appeal to many black Americans at the time. It reflected a
new portrayal of self for black people in the 1960s in a way that attracted many young
black kids to want to join the party.
7. The Black Panthers understood the media and effectively used it to their advantage.
The Black Panthers furthered their agenda by appealing to what they believed
journalists and photographers sought after to cover in the news. They leveraged their
voices and imprinted their images in newspapers,
magazines and television programs.
8. The Black Panthers Party launched the Free
Breakfast For Children program.
They spent about two hours each morning
cooking breakfast for children in poor
neighborhoods before school. The party served
about 20,000 meals a week and it became
the party’s most successful program of their 35 survival programs.
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