THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY FREE BREAKFAST PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN...
This was the first nationally organized breakfast program in the United States, either in the public or private sector." It marked not only the first program of its kind in the US, but indicated a sharp shift in the political direction of the Black Panther Party. For its first few years the Party had been focused on armed self-defense, and patrolling the police. The shift toward survival programs was meant to address the inadequacy of community based services in their neighborhoods, and seeing the need to connect more deeply and practically with the community.
The Free Breakfast Program was the centerpiece of The BPP’s “Survival Programs,” put in place to begin building a platform or example of what a new Post-Revolution American society would look like. It would also ensure that the masses were served, regardless of the tyranny to be handed down by the ruling class in the midst of the struggle for Independence.
In response to the threat, Public authorities made efforts to undermine BPP programs by requiring compliance with previously un-required state regulations.
These efforts-combined with the routine & often violent harassment of Panther Members, violent raids on BPP Offices, Infiltration of local chapters, assassination of leadership, and false imprisonment of others members & leaders would spell the demise of the Party programs. With the core leadership of The Party imprisoned or in exile, the weaknesses of the party were exploited and internal strife eventually brought the movement to an end.
We at The WANDERING EYES BLOG salute the Black Panther Party for its Leadership & Intellectual Revolutionary Ideals. While most imagery of the Party centers around pictures of them posing with guns, there were many POWERFUL Intellectual & Calculated Political Paradigms put in place that stand to this day. I recommend that you do some reading & research on Huey P Newton, Bobby Seale, Eldridge Cleaver, Fred Hampton, Stokely Carmichael, H. Rap Brown, Elaine Brown, and Kathleen Cleaver. You WILL be inspired…