- In October 1966, Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton, a pair of students in Oakland, galvanized by Malcolm X's philosophy of Black self-determination, launched the Black Panther Party for self-defense. Their goal was to protect their community from racism and violence, which meant protecting it from the police.

HUEY P. NEWTON: When we first started, we had a police alert patrol, and we would patrol the community. If we saw the police brutalizing anyone, we would put an end to this. Usually, the police wouldn't brutalize anyone if we were on hand.

NARRATOR: Did the Panthers embrace a willingness to use arms to defend themselves? Absolutely.

HASAN JEFFRIES: Unfortunately, that's usually the only part of the story that we get. Even more energy was expended in social programs.

NARRATOR: The Panthers put their revolutionary philosophy into practical action. They developed programs targeted at poor Black people. They provided the community with free medical care, including sickle cell screening programs, as well as clothing for the needy. Many believe that the Panthers' free breakfast program for schoolchildren helped inspire the USDA's federal breakfast program.

KATHLEEN CLEAVER: We were not for integration. We were for self-determination. We wanted to have the right to determine ourselves what we wanted. Economic opportunity, decent education, access to the full complement of privileges, benefits, and responsibilities of any American.

NARRATOR: Not even the FBI was able to stop the spread of the Panthers' ideals, encouraging Black people to defend themselves from police brutality and fight for their rights.

Decades later, the Black Panthers' legacy continues to live in a variety of political, cultural, and social realms, most recently in the Black Lives Matter movement.

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