Black Panthers
Black Panther Ten Point Plan Response During the 1960s, the black civil rights movement was at its peak and the call for social and racial equality was spreading throughout America. To promote these ideas, different groups rose up and protested against the current white dominant order in the United States. Among these groups, the Black Panthers were founded to demand an end to “racism and social oppression in order to create a global socialist community” (Ten Point Plan). Their tactics were very controversial because of the amount of violence their members caused. They were known for fighting and even killing police when provoked. But although their style of protest was severely looked down upon in today’s society, the principles of their cause were just. The Black Panther’s overarching goal of their community is for freedom and the power to determine the destiny of their oppressed communities. The Black Panthers were based upon ten founding goals that would pushed for more rights and freedoms of the black community. The first point was mentioned above and calls for Blacks to basically have the same rights as white people do. After this point, they specified exactly what they wanted to change. These included full employment of their people, fairness in payment for their labor, decent housing, and an education that is not racist and tells the black history as it actually happened and not as a censored version. It also includes free and extensive health care to all, the end of police and governmental brutality, stopping the expansionism of America, fairness in justice and freedom, and finally an overarching demand of property, liberty, peace, education, and modern technology for all peoples (Ten Points Plan). The goals were printed with captions underneath that explained where the current government has faltered and some have steps to correct the situation. The Ten Points Plan calls upon the government to provide full rights to the black population by either
Cited: “Ten Point Plan” .Acts of Inquiry. Ed. University of Washington. Boston, MA: Bedford/St.
Martin’s, 2011. 389-392. Print.