Two nights ago, PBS aired “The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution” which is a documentary about the rise and fall of that movement. Being that I was born after the founding of the Panthers, have no memories them and only have knowledge of them from having read about them and hearing stories from actual members, I highly anticipated its national showing on national television.
Despite criticisms of the documentary coming from the the iconic Elaine Brown and other former Panthers, I found the documentary instructional. Of course, I know that the documentary had the slant of the producer as all documentaries have and that everything wasn’t focused on or given its just due because of being constrained to two hours in length.
Some of the points that I see as being worthy of awareness for today based upon viewing the documentary are the following:
1) A movement must seek to be transformative while dealing with the day to day emergency needs of the people. The Panthers broad program and distribution of its points through its paper, which looks to have been inspired by the Nation of Islam’s Muhammad Speaks, was coupled with taking care of the immediate needs of people such as the free breakfast program for children. The program was so effective that former FBI head J. Edgar Hoover considered it to be the biggest threat to national security. Good will and social capital is earned by helping people at the grassroots, not just marching and speaking in high platitudes.
2) Socio-political revolution cannot be achieved within the boundaries of state laws with arms even if in the name of self defense. The Panthers using open-carry laws to police the police wasn’t sustainable. Former California Governor Ronald Reagan with the State House and Senate and support of the NRA changed the open-carry law. Gun control laws are supported and thwarted today based upon who the powers that be see as being effected. Radical social change is more about changing thoughts and ideas of people which takes time. A small percentage within a minority of a population cannot use arms as part of a revolution.
3) The movement for freedom, justice and equality has to be multi-ethnic and not racially exclusive. The Black Panthers had their own space of organizing in the hood while outreaching to rich whites, poor whites, Puerto Ricans and others. A movement can create a safe space for a particular disenfranchised group which instills self worth for its members while still actively educating and organizing with others.
4) Social justice movements must have a spiritual basis to sustain themselves. As much as the FBI and law enforcement used dirty tricks, the Panthers appeared to have imploded. The egotism from leaders Huey P. Newtown and Eldridge Cleaver was painful to watch. It appears to be that the movement became placed on the back-burner over ego. Newtown being propelled to cult status with his pictures everywhere and being treated like a god led to his downfall and the downfall of the movement even after being weakened by state violence and dirty tricks. Spiritual principles and purification help keep people and the movement centered. It’s like the saying that a ship doesn’t sink because it’s surrounded by water; it sinks due to cracks or holes in its frame.
I plan on watching this documentary again. I’m sure that something will else catch my eye, which didn’t in my first viewing. I’m grateful to my elders who struggled in the movement and those who are still in it today and support younger folks like myself. I hope that we can improve in our shortcomings today.
