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Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education is passed, prohibiting the states from denying equal protection of the laws to any person within their jurisdictions. -
Meeting of Huey Newton and Bobby Seale
Huey Newton and Bobby Seale met during a protest of Pioneer's Day which honored pioneers but neglected to mention the role of African Americans in helping settle the American West. This led to the founding of the Negro History Fact Group. -
Huey Newton and Bobby Seale Organize
Huey Newton and Bobby Seale witness the oppression of black people firsthand, seeing civil rights protestors being assaulted and recognizing it as part of a longstanding tradition of police violence and state oppression. This culminated into the formation of the Black Panther Party. -
COINTELPRO
The FBI notably ran a counter intelligence operation against the Black Panther Party known as COINTELPRO, this counter intel operation came to it's peak in 1969 when a police raid resulted in the death of Fred Hampton, a notable leader of the Black Panther Party -
Local Movements
Local chapters of the Black Panthers would organize programs to feed their community, feeding up to 20,000 children a day as well as providing food free food for families and the elderly. They also sponsored schools, legal aid offices and local transportation. -
Empowerment of female members
In the Black Panther Party, women made up about half of the organization and were often in positions of power. In Boston, Lynn French in Chicago and Audre Dunham were both local leaders, despite this the Party did struggle to overcome gender inequality. -
Advocating for other causes
The Black Panthers were also known to advocate for other social causes, such as prison reform as well as hosting food giveaways and opening free health clinics -
Effects of COINTELPRO
COINTELPRO did ultimately contribute to the demise of the Black Panther Party, as well as the dissolution of the group's leadership