Black Panthers
Black Panther Ten Point Plan Response During the 1960s, the black civil rights movement was at its peak and the call for social and racial equality was spreading throughout America. To promote these ideas, different groups rose up and protested against the current white dominant order in the United States. Among these groups, the Black Panthers were founded to demand an end to “racism and social oppression in order to create a global socialist community” (Ten Point Plan). Their tactics were very controversial because of the amount of violence their members caused.
They were known for fighting and even killing police when provoked. But although their style of protest was severely looked down upon in today’s society, the principles of their cause were just. The Black Panther’s overarching goal of their community is for freedom and the power to determine the destiny of their oppressed communities. The Black Panthers were based upon ten founding goals that would pushed for more rights and freedoms of the black community. The first point was mentioned above and calls for Blacks to basically have the same rights as white people do.
After this point, they specified exactly what they wanted to change. These included full employment of their people, fairness in payment for their labor, decent housing, and an education that is not racist and tells the black history as it actually happened and not as a censored version. It also includes free and extensive health care to all, the end of police and governmental brutality, stopping the expansionism of America, fairness in justice and freedom, and finally an overarching demand of property, liberty, peace, education, and modern technology for all peoples (Ten Points Plan).
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The goals were printed with captions underneath that explained where the current government has faltered and some have steps to correct the situation. The Ten Points Plan calls upon the government to provide full rights to the black population by either aiding them in their goals or backing off and giving them more freedom in their lives. The Black Panthers generally want the government take on more roles in the education and basic needs of their people.
In their Ten Points, the Black Panthers demand the government to employ or guarantee money to every person of employment, help the black people create cooperatives for living in, payment for past wrongs, and payment for completely free health care for all African Americans. In addition, general statements such as an “end to all wars of aggression” and “an end to police brutality” are included (Ten Points Plan). They don’t necessarily say how the government will get this money or be able to continue payment on the items, but rather just demanding the help.
This isn’t very conducive for government intervention or for actual results because it isn’t a realistic goal being presented. If the points included a way to get the money or labor, then the points would be more complete and taken more seriously. The reasons these goals were presented to the United States was because of the oppression the black community had been under for centuries. Specifically the points were pointed toward the end of slavery and the unfairness in treatment by government programs.
The black community was lumped into poor areas for living, creating the modern day ghettos and a place where overall racial success and equality could not be accomplished. The Black community was also seen as subservient to the white community in the pre-1960s and so the general population did not help the struggling community. To further demoralize the community, the government treated them as a lesser people and didn’t respect them, which caused tension between the groups.
The Ten Points Plan came out of a tumultuous time in America’s history where civil liberties were under investigation and the tides of change were slowly coming into the popular American culture. The goals expressed in the plan have led to positive changes for Black Americans today and the furthering of their community. Although the Panthers have not continue on, their goals of freedom for the average black American are seen in the equality of black Americans today. Works Cited “Ten Point Plan” . Acts of Inquiry. Ed. University of Washington. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011. 389-392. Print.
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