Goals
The primary job of the party is to provide leadership for the people.[6] Their goals were liberation and freedom of the black community. By liberation, they wanted the black community to be self-sustaining; to have its own values, cultures, power, and humanity. Black Panthers wanted to stand on equal ground as whites, rather than be trampled over by the white people. “To the Panthers, black culture was completely destroyed, which is why the Black Panther Party denounces capitalism and says that all we can do is liberate our community, not only in Vietnam, but here, not only in Cambodia and the People’s Republic of China and Korea but the communities of the world.”[7] They also demanded full employment, decent housing and more work opportunities. They were trying so hard to reach their goals, hoping one day they would achieve them. While they protested, they carried weapons while the state was trying to outlaw the right to carry weapons. In other words, they were sending a message to the state, to show that they cannot stop people from carrying weapons. Even though the Black Panther party did not fulfill all their goals, they did leave behind influence for the future. For example, they provided free breakfast, free clothing and campaigns to stop drug abuse. Not only did the BPP programs teach self-reliance, but years later the government established similar programs such as free school lunchs, expanded Medicare and day care facilities, and liberalized court procedures for tenant takeovers of poorly maintained housing, partly, if not primarily, to snuff out the memory of previous similar BPP programs and the principle of self-reliance.[8] They also achieved a greater influence on the black community to fight for their rights, but they couldn’t achieve political influence. They influenced people by lifting up the black neighborhoods also known as the forgotten places of America, and making those people that they still mattered and made them have a sense of pride in being black. Seale’s goal of political power failed. In 1973 he ran for mayor in Oakland but lost; only receiving 40 percent of the votes. So Seal resigned after Huey Newton was shot. The party began to have no leadership and eventually fell apart. Lacking a fully worked-out Marxist program or strategy despite their best efforts, the Panthers went into rapid decline.[9] The BPP failed to encourage the Black community to set up its own businesses as a means of building an independent economic foundation which could help break "outsiders" control of the Black community's economics, and move it toward economic self reliance.[10] Black Panther Party could not organize economic foundations in the community. They also did not get their equality, nor liberation of the black community. Even though the Black Panthers foresaw a system of true communism, communism was not influenced in the U.S.
[6] Newton, Huey, To Die for The People The Writings of Huey P Newton. NY: Random House pg. 14(1972)
[7] Newton pg. 37 (1972)
[8] Sundiata Acoli, A Brief History of Black Panther Party and Its Place in the Black Liberation Movement. Chicago, IL: Sundiata Acoli Freedom Campaign (2013)
[9] Hanah,Sell, Lessons from the Black Panther Party. Seattle, WA: Socialist Alternative. (2013)
[10] Sundiata Acoli (2013)
[7] Newton pg. 37 (1972)
[8] Sundiata Acoli, A Brief History of Black Panther Party and Its Place in the Black Liberation Movement. Chicago, IL: Sundiata Acoli Freedom Campaign (2013)
[9] Hanah,Sell, Lessons from the Black Panther Party. Seattle, WA: Socialist Alternative. (2013)
[10] Sundiata Acoli (2013)