The Civil Rights Movement in the United States is one of the most important events of the 20th

century which would shape black culture for many years after. Even if the movement was
perceived as peaceful there were extreme aspects; the Black Panther Party being the one of the
biggest. Even if the party was regarded as extremist and combative, the aspects of the party that
benefited the party were felt for generations. The party would overlook the creation of various
programs including the anti-police brutality patrols, Liberation Schools, as well as Free Breakfast
for Children Program, and Free Health Clinics. 

The party’s basic ideals came from the platform itself.  Their points were reflected in their
actions. The Panthers were very aggressive with their idea of stopping police brutality and the
murder of African Americans as stated in the 7th point in the platform.  This point in the party
would be the causation of the horrible label the party would inherit. Between 1967 and 1970
there had been nine police deaths and 56 more wounded. On the Panther side there was 10 deaths
and an unknown number of wounded. This period also saw mass arrests of Panthers amounting
to 348. This stain in their reputation came with approval of the black population. This was shown
in a nationwide Lou Harris poll taken on January 1970. It showed that the support and pride for
the Panthers was at 64 % taken shortly after the death of Fred Hampton and Mark Clark.  Most
of these engagements would happen due to party members pursuing police officers and
providing aide to blacks if they were getting harassed.  Some of these deaths also happened due
to government interference and attempts to dismantle the party through the FBI and local police
departments.  We can speculate that the African Americans in these towns and cities in which the
Panthers were active would have felt safer due to their patrolling.  This orthodox view is
challenged by revisionist historians like Pearson which argue that the deaths, injuries and arrests
did not justify their actions and that those actions did not improve the life of black Americans.

In one word, the Black Panthers would be described as ‘radical’. They took the civil rights
movement to a whole new level. The Black Panther Party also took the meaning of self- defense
to new heights. The Black panthers stood for freedom, equal rights, better health care, decent
housing and education, but most of all putting an end to police brutality. According to the article
History of the black panthers the panthers are known for being the most powerful for social
change since the Revolution of 1776 and the Civil War. The Black Panther Party (BPP) knew it
would be a tough road to travel, but they knew they had to fight for what was right. The panthers
endured countless attacks from their own community law enforcement, and higher power attacks
From FBI leader, J. Edgar Hoover. Some of the Panthers even put their lives on the line for the
movement. Some say that the Black Panthers failed as a group, but they did succeed, they
succeeded in giving the black community hope and letting them know that you have to stand up
for what you believe in.
Two Law students by the names of Bobby Seale and Huey Newton decided to start a civil rights
group with a little more aggressive in your face style. This Group would be called The Black
Panther Party. Their original goal and vision was to stop police brutality in the black community,
and serve the needs of black oppressed people (Baggins). The group was Established in Oakland
California in 1966(Baggins). According to the article “History of the black Panthers” The
panthers put in place The Ten Point Program. The Ten Point program emphasized what the
panthers were wanted to change and what they were fighting for.