WHY WE CALL OURSELVES 'PANTHERS'

   In 1996, the Jackson Panthers Basketball team was born.  The name "Panther" which the team adopted was one which came from a rich heritage of Black Freedom Struggle.  For over 30 years. the "Panthers" was used in the civil rights, Black Power, and  Black Independence movements in America to identify bold and energetic political organizations which moved to the forefront of the struggle for freedom.  Most often, these organizations were organized by young people.

   In modern times, the Black panthers was first used as a symbol and logo to identify Lowndes County Freedom Democratic Party in Alabama  which organized a slate of Black candidates in the Lowndes County elections in 1966.  The formation of the party was an act of self-determination by SNCC, the student nonviolent coordinating committee.  SNCC worked in opposition to the white racist in the regular Alabama democratic party.  The regular party led drives to prevent Blacks from holding office and voting and actually supported lynching and other racist acts for a century before the Lowndes County Freedom Democratic party was formed. Kwame {formerly known as Stokely Carmichael} was one of the organizers of the Lowndes County party.  The Party was often called the Black Panther Party.

   One of the most effective organizations in the history of Black  Freedom struggle was called the Revolutionary Action Movement (RAM).  One of the primary leaders of  RAM was Muhammad  Ahmad (formerly known as Max Stanford). Ahmad was a young follower of Malcolm X.  RAM was a low profile group.  It quietly sent its members all over America to join Black organizations in order to help build the Freedom Movement.  Ram had members in SNCC, in Black Worker Leagues in large urban centers like New York, Detroit, Cleveland, Ohio, Newark, New Jersey and Philadelphia and in various Black culture groups on colleges campuses all over America.  RAM worked closely with the Deacons for Defense in protecting many civil rights and human right workers from harm. In 1966 ,Ram members received permission from those affiliated with the Lowndes County Freedom Democratic Party to use the Black Panther names in forming a Black Independent Party which would work to organize Black people from the west coast to the east, and from the west coast to the east, and from north to south. Thus, the first Black Panther Party was formed by Ram.

   Later, Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton formed the Black Panther Party for Self Defense in Oakland, California in October of 1966. Within a short while the spread across the country. Both Black Panther Parties were effective in training young people to stand up for their rights, and in encouraging them to study history and world political    movements. The first Black Panther Party set up chapters which were eventually called the House of Umoja and which operated very successful community and political development programs across the country. Eventually, the House of Umoja group from Los Angeles became part of the New African People Organization.

   The Black Panther Party for Self  Defense challenged police brutality and murders, set up free breakfast programs, shoes and clothing programs, organized against drugs, and for tenant rights and developed many more productive projects.

   Unfortunately, the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was destroyed when the various racist police departments and the FBI targeted the BPPSD in a program called the Counterplot in the late 1960's and early 1970's. The program was designed to destroy groups like the Martin Luther King SCLC and the NAACP  as well as the Panthers and other organization which believed in the right to self-defense.

    Like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, some panthers were assassinated and many were put into prison for crimes that they didn't commit, Geronimo JiJaga (Pratt) was a Panther who sent 27 years in prison on false charges. Afeni Shakur, Tupac Shakur's mother spent two years in jail on false charges.

   In fact, she was pregnant with Tupac in jail. Sundiata Acoli is presently still in jail. He is a former panther and an expert in mathematics. Before he became a Panther he worked for the U.S. NASA Space Program and trained the U.S. Astronaut, Neil Armstrong.  Sekou Odinga, Assata Shakur and Mumia Abu Jamal are all Panthers who were placed in jail because of the Cointelpro Program.  Sister Assata is free in Cuba today.  However, Odinga and  Mumia remain in prison along with over a hundred other political prisoners in America.  Mumia is on death row for a crime he did not commit.  Thousands of people in the U.S. and across the world have protested Mumia's death sentence and imprisonment of political prisons in America.

   in the late 1980's, the New Afrikan Peoples Organization named its youth group the New Afrrikan Panthers.  Tupac Shakur was the first president of that group.  today the New Afrikan Panthers are at their high schools and in their communities.

   As the history indicates, it is an honor to be a panther.  A Panther is more than a basketball player.  A Panther is a proud, courageous and dignified young person who is loyal and responsible.  A Panther believes in working hard for that which is right, following instructions and being committed to our common goal.  A Panther is not selfish.  A Panther gives generously of himself or herself  and works together with other Panthers to accomplish their common goals.  Panthers are lovers.  Panthers love the people and love justice.  That is why Panthers once developed the slogan "Power of the People."

   So every time we say or hear the slogan "Panther Power", we should be proud of history and be prepared to step up and face the challenges of the present and future.

PANTHER POWER 1999!