Why the Black Panther Party’s Vision for Education Still Matters

By Sharif El-Mekki, Word in Black

The Black Panther Party for Self Defense turned 58 this October.  Its Ten-point Platform and Program, written by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, is as vital as ever.   

As a Black man who grew up as one of the Children of the Struggle — with parents and cousins in the Black Panther Party (BPP), attended schools founded by our people, and was raised by Panthers — I feel deeply the connection to each of the demands in the list of 10. 

As a Black male educator, however, I naturally gravitate to #5:  

“We want education for our people that exposes the true nature of this decadent American society. We want education that teaches us our true history and our role in the present-day society. We believe in an educational system that will give to our people a knowledge of self. If you do not have knowledge of yourself and your position in society and the world, then you will have little chance to know anything else.” 

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We continue to live in a nation of radical failure, epic injustice, and stubborn disparity for Black and brown people.  But we cannot let that slow us down or dissuade us from our continued pursuit of educational opportunity the Ten-Point Platform articulates.  

Head to the original article to see how grassroots education solutions have been co-opted.

The Black Panther Party was one of the social organizations that fought for equal rights.

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