The Black Panther Programs (1969)

BREAKFAST PROGRAM: Every Panther chapter has set up free breakfast programs for young children. They are presently feeding somewhere over 5,000 children per week. The food is pressured out of businessmen raking the profits from the ghettoes and from contributions to the Party from residents and friends.

FREE MEDICAL CLINICS: Clinics are being set up by every chapter. Some, as in Chicago, and Kansas City, are already operating. These clinics are a necessity in black communities which are desperately in need of the most elemental care.

LIBERATION SCHOOLS: For children of all ages, these schools counter-balance the racist, stultifying education that black children encounter everyday in the public schools.

COMMUNITY CONTROL OF THE POLICE: The Panthers in numerous cities are engaged in petition drives seeking community, local control and decentralization of the police force.

FREE CLOTHING DRIVES: just getting started. The Panthers hope to distribute old but still good clothing to the neediest of Black families.

ARMED SELF DEFENCE: The Panthers teach all their members the use and necessity of armed self defense, not only of themselves but for the entire Black community Thus, if a family is threatened, or young kid beaten up, the Panthers can be immediately called.

POLITICAL EDUCATION: PE for ad members and some community members is heavily stressed by Panthers in ad chapters.

PANTHER PAPER: Most Panther revenue comes from the sales (75.000) of their weekly paper, which they see as becoming a national Black community news. In all their programs, the Panthers stress putting socialism into practice, meeting people’s real needs, and educating them to the necessity and possibility of revolution.

Source: Old Mole 9/26/69

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