In a March 1968 memo, J. Edgar Hoover had laid out the objectives of the FBI COINTELPRO operation against "Black Nationalist-Hate Groups", including the Nation of Islam and the Black Panthers. Hoover’s last goal was to "prevent the long-rang growth of Militant Black nationalist organizations, especially among youth". (Can't Stop Won't Stop, pg. 46)
In my opinion, Chang fails to elucidate how the Black Panthers planned to win the hearts and minds of Black and Brown youth. To know would really give one a different perspective on what the Panthers were like. What I recall seeing in documentaries about this era was a group that was livid with the White power structure, and so they used a lot of fiery rhetoric to get their point across. End of story. Those types of documentaries painted a distorted picture of this organization, and these skewed perceptions still permeate the minds of young Black people today.
But do you know the real reason why J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI made the Black Panthers enemy #1? It wasn’t for their scary militancy and their black berets and fatigues. It wasn’t even their call for Black Power. From the best of my knowledge, it was the galvanizing effect that their social services would have on the poor Back and Brown youth. In particular, their feed-the-hungry programs were of the utmost concern to Hoover. He understood that people seldom bite the hand that feeds them, and so such a program would translate into extreme loyalty to the Panthers, which would be nearly impossible to undue. With that kind of loyalty, the Black Panthers would have been a real force to reckon with.
One of our pious predecessors in Islam once said: “Give to whomsoever you wish and you will become his master; ask from whomsoever you wish and you will become his prisoner; and do not seek help from whomsoever you wish and you will be his equal.”
-Verbal
In my opinion, Chang fails to elucidate how the Black Panthers planned to win the hearts and minds of Black and Brown youth. To know would really give one a different perspective on what the Panthers were like. What I recall seeing in documentaries about this era was a group that was livid with the White power structure, and so they used a lot of fiery rhetoric to get their point across. End of story. Those types of documentaries painted a distorted picture of this organization, and these skewed perceptions still permeate the minds of young Black people today.
But do you know the real reason why J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI made the Black Panthers enemy #1? It wasn’t for their scary militancy and their black berets and fatigues. It wasn’t even their call for Black Power. From the best of my knowledge, it was the galvanizing effect that their social services would have on the poor Back and Brown youth. In particular, their feed-the-hungry programs were of the utmost concern to Hoover. He understood that people seldom bite the hand that feeds them, and so such a program would translate into extreme loyalty to the Panthers, which would be nearly impossible to undue. With that kind of loyalty, the Black Panthers would have been a real force to reckon with.
One of our pious predecessors in Islam once said: “Give to whomsoever you wish and you will become his master; ask from whomsoever you wish and you will become his prisoner; and do not seek help from whomsoever you wish and you will be his equal.”
-Verbal
I agree that Chang did not emphasize the real mission and role of the Black Panther party. However, I think that it is important to realize that this omission may have been intentional. Hip Hop culture was a result of the failure of the Party to connect with the new generation. The decline of the food programs and educational systems created a chasm between those who participated in the civil rights movement and the children that should have benefited. Much love on the subject matter, though. Delving into the why is necessary to understand the current history we exist in.
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