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The History of The Black Panther Party

By _itsriquel

  • In The Beginning

    In The Beginning
    The Black Panthers, also known as the Black Panther Party, was a political organization founded in 1966 by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale in Oakland, Ca to challenge police brutality against the African American community and soon around the world.

  • News Debut

    News Debut
    The Black Panther newspaper debuts with the boldfaced headline “Why was Denzil Dowell Killed” to rally action over the death of a young black man shot by police in Richmond.

  • Bearing Arms

    Bearing Arms
    Panther Chairman Seale leads a cadre of Black Panthers shouldering arms who march into the state Capitol to protest a law that will they say will restrict the right to bear arms. The law is in response to the Panthers’ armed patrols of their neighborhoods. Gov. Ronald Reagan signs the legislation into law.

  • Shooting

    Shooting
    Panther Minister of Defense Newton is involved in a shootout with Oakland police after a traffic stop. Officer John Frey is killed. Newton is shot in the abdomen. Tracked to an Oakland hospital, he is arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

  • First to Die

    First to Die
    17-year-old Panther treasurer Bobby Hutton is killed by police after a violent confrontation in West Oakland. Panthers maintain that Hutton was shot eight times while unarmed and with his arms raised to surrender.

  • Seale Case

    Seale Case
    Bobby Seale is arrested in Berkeley on charges of inciting a riot at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago a year earlier. At the famous Chicago Seven trial, Seale is bound and gagged after refusing to stop his courtroom outbursts.

  • #FreeHuey

    #FreeHuey
    Huey Newton is convicted of voluntary manslaughter. He is sentenced to 2 to 15 years.

  • FBFC

    FBFC
    Activism builds around the notion that Newton is a political prisoner. The “Free Huey” campaign leads to the opening of Black Panther chapters in more than 20 cities. The Free Breakfast for Children program is launched at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Oakland.

  • #HueyIsFree

    #HueyIsFree
    After his first conviction is overturned, Newton is released on $50,000 bail pending retrial after serving 33 months for the death of officer Frey. He moves into a top-floor apartment at 1200 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland. After two retrials, the charges are ultimately dropped.

  • #SealeIsFree

    #SealeIsFree
    After 21 months in jail, Seale’s murder conspiracy case is dismissed in New Haven, Conn., following dismissal of his case in Chicago.

  • Education For The Youth

    Education For The Youth
    The Oakland Community School opens to educate the children of the Panthers. Capacity of 150 kids is soon reached.

  • So Long BBP

    So Long BBP
    Black Panther Party is dissolved. Oakland Community School closes. Newton is charged with embezzling $600,000 from the school. He is sentenced to six months after pleading no contest to stealing $15,000 in state aid intended for the school.