The Black Panther Party and the Vietnam War

By Katie Buniski

The Black Panther Party made a significant impact in a short time. Founded by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale in 1966 as the Write this out: The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, the Party reached its peak membership four years later. The murder of an unarmed teenager named Matthew Johson at the hands of San Francisco Police sparked their initiative. They created the BPPSD to bring change. African Americans perceived that they resided in an internal colony, one exploited for labor and resources. The pivotal event in the history of the Black Panther Party was the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968. This event sparked anger because King inspired many in the movement. His assassination outraged them and many others. Black Panther Party members stood out from other Black activist organizations. They wore distinctive all-black outfits and carried guns in public to defend themselves against police brutality. They opposed African American involvement in America’s wars abroad. They additionally organized anti-war rallies and encouraged black people and other minorities to resist the military draft and oppose fighting in the Vietnam war. Their engagement in political activism in communities nationwide, including in Philadelphia, “rendered them unpopular with President Richard Nixon”. In December 1969, Black Panther Party Chief of State David Hilliard was arrested by police for remarks that he made at a rally that allegedly threatened Nixon’s life. The Black Panther Party intertwined the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement. As African Americans across the country fought for their rights, the tensions in Vietnam consumed Americans. This prompted the Panthers to focus on the issue of human rights. The Party ceased operations in the early 1980s.