|
Black
Panther Dispute
Abridged
Version
From a news story by
CNN San Francisco Reporter Rusty Dornin
February 2003
Bobby Seale and Huey Newton founded the Black Panthers in the 1960’s.
It was a radical group that wanted to overthrow the American government.
Sometimes they were in shoot-outs with the police. The Black Panthers
set up health clinics, tried to help the poor, and pushed for rights
for other races.
In 1967, the Black Panthers marched on the California State Capitol.
They carried weapons into the legislature. Even though weapons were
legal, the police arrested them for disturbing the peace. The news reports
did not say whether their guns were loaded.
Today there is a new group of Black Panthers. Their leader is Malik
Shabazz, a Washington, DC lawyer. These New Black Panthers are different
from the ones in the 1960’s. They don’t like the Jewish people
and call their faith evil and dirty. Many of the New Panthers protest
at the Holocaust Museum. Shabazz’s group tries to keep kids off
the streets, teaches self-defense and feeds the poor.
Bobby Seale, David Hilliard and other Black Panthers are mad at the
new group. They do not hate Jews and refer to the new Panthers as narrow-minded.
Seale’s group is going to sue in federal court for use of their
logo and name without permission.
Malik Shabazz thinks the lawsuit is foolish. He thinks the Black Panthers
should be helping them. Shabazz says his party is doing what the other
group had done in the sixties. Also, he believes the Black Panthers
belong to the people. Black young men and women should be supported
and not criticized. According to Shabazz, the deeds of the original
Black Panthers were much worse than what they are doing.
David Hilliard doesn’t want any part of the new Panther racism.
He hates what the new group is doing to the Black Panther name. Hilliard
and Seale are not jealous of Shabazz’s party. They say the young
people can protest and speak out, but don’t use the Black Panther
name without their permission.
Additional Notes:
According to Bobby Seale,
there is no New Black Panther Party. He is against racism, and terrorism
and lends his support to the September 11th victims’ families.
The original Black Panthers Party broke up in the 1980’s. Seale
is proud of the Black Panther legacy and does not want another group
to use their name.
The New Black Panthers hope to see Israel destroyed. Also, they want
payment to descendants of former slaves. The official name of the new
group is the New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense.
For additional information,
look at these Web sites:
©
1999-2003 Cable News Network, Inc.
Literacyworks
Western/Pacific LINCS
All Rights Reserved
|
