23 nov 1967 anni - Free Huey! Campaign begins

Descrizione:

Huey Newton was a co-founder of the Black Panther Party. On September 28, 1967, he was pulled over in a traffic stop. A shootout occurred that left Newton critically injured and the officer John Frye died from his injuries. On November 13, 1967, Newton was indicted of three felony charges (one of which was manslaughter). Newton was imprisoned, and the Black Panther Party (BPP) put together the "Free Huey!" campaign to secure his release and acquittal.

The campaign framed Newton as a victim of police violence and oppression, and in doing so the BPP was able to take Newton's case and spin it to secure support for him and the movement as a whole. This campaign fashioned Newton as a celebrated political prisoner—a radical icon of sorts. More importantly, it framed Huey as the new leader of the black world and cemented his national and global status. This movement highlighted the ways in which Newton had contributed greatly to the ideology and methodology of the Black underclass and built class consciousness.

Lastly, the Free Huey! movement is particularly unique in the sense that it was just as popular with white radicals (ex. Peace and Freedom Party) as it was with black radicals. The movement was a site of cross-racial coalition building in a way that was unprecedented within the Party. This alliance gave the Peace and Freedom Party a legitimate claim to organizing with black people and it opened up the BPP to resources and credibility that they did not have access to before the coalition formed. It is important to note, however, that the alliance came at a cost. In some black communities, it delivered a significant blow to the Party's credibility.

Aggiunto al nastro di tempo:

Data:

Immagini: