During the late 1960's and early '70's posters of the Black Panther Party's
co-founder, Huey P. Newton were plastered on walls of college dorm rooms across
the country. Wearing a black beret and a leather jacket, sitting on a wicker
chair, a spear in one hand and a rifle in the other, the poster depicted Huey
Newton as a symbol of his generation's anger and courage in the face of racism
and imperialism (Albert and Hoffman 4, 45).
His intellectual capacity and community leadership abilities helped to
founded the Black Panther Party (BPP). Newton played an instrumental role in
refocusing civil rights activists to the problems of urban Black communities. He
also tapped the rage and frustration of urban Blacks in order to address social
injustice.
However, the FBI's significant fear of the Party's aggressive actions would
not only drive the party apart but also create false information regarding the
Panther's programs and accomplishments. In recent years, historians have devoted
much attention of the early 1960's, to Malcolm X and Martin Luther King and have
ignored the Black Panthers. The Panthers and Huey P. Newton's leadership of the
Party are as significant to the Black freedom struggle as more widely known
leaders of the Civil Rights Movement.
A typical American history high school textbook not only neglects to mention
Huey Newton but also disregards the existence of the Black Panthers altogether.
Therefore, we must open this missed chapter in American history and discover the
legacy and story of Huey P. Newton. Huey's experiences growing up were centered
in his conception of the Black Panthers.
Unlike King and many other civil rights leaders who were religious
Southerners, from middle class and well-educated families, Huey P. Newton was a
working class man from a poor urban black neighborhood. Born February 17, 1942,
in Oak Grove Louisiana, Huey moved to Oakland, California when he was just two
years old. During childhood, his baby face, light complexion, medium height,
squeaky voice and his name Huey, forced him to learn how to fight early on in
life.
Huey's remarkable quick wit and strength earned him the respect of his peers
and the reputation of being a tough guy (Seale 40). Upon his enrollment at
Merrit College Huey's academic achievements quickly began to surpass other
students, while at the same time he was still able to relate to those he grew up
with on the streets of Oakland. Autobiographer, Hugh Pearson in Shadow of the
Panther reports that Huey remained comfortable on the street corners with young
Negro men who drank wine all day…and fought one another - young men whom most
college-bound Negroes shied away from (Pearson 115). Huey's ability and desire
to develop his intellect and receive a college education while still identifying
with his peers on the street played an influential role in his effective
leadership in the Black Panther Party.
