Ten-Point Program
The article was written by the Black Panther Party to call for more equality in the society. Inequality was rampant in society at that time and blacks were being treated as if they were second class citizens. Indeed, they were being denied fundamental rights. This denial sparked a revolt from the Black Panther Party. The thesis of the article is Black people are not free because they are not able to determine their own destiny.
To prove their thesis, the Black Panther Party states that the government has robbed black people and thus are requesting the overdue debt of two mules and forty acres. The rewards were a compensation for the mass killing of the black people. The Party demanded this payment in form of currency so that they could distribute it to enable people to realize financial freedom. They give the illustration of Germans helping the Jews since the holocaust led to the death of the six million. The situation in America is worse since its racist past led to the deaths of more than 50 million Black people. As such, their claim is only modest in the journey to claim their own destiny. The party also demanded an equal education system that will enable people gain self-awareness. They believe that if a person is not aware of him/herself and his/her position in society and the world, then chances are higher that he cannot relate to anything else or gain self-freedom.
After reading the essay, I believe that the claims made by the Black panther party are rational. Black people suffered decades from suppression that placed them in disadvantaged positions in the society. To rectify this, it was only fair that the government gave them equal opportunities as the white population. Such a move would enable black people to forge their own destinies.
Frantz Fanon, translated by Richard Philcox, The Wretched of the Earth. Grove Pr, 2004. Print.
The author speaks about the violence that has marred earth. He believes that human beings are inherently violent. The author asserts that violence is like the Achilles’ spear since it can heal the wounds it has inflicted. Indeed, oppression instigates violence. His thesis is that the only way to fight oppression is through violence because it is the most effective way to elicit reactions from humans.
To demonstrate his thesis, he discusses the nature of colonization and its impact on both the colonized and the colonizers. By making this analysis, Fanon (8) centers on violence that is inevitable due to colonization and the disadvantages of abrupt violent actions and rebellions. The author argues about the distinctive characteristics in the relationship between the suppressed and the suppressers and how this conflict manifests itself in the struggle for order and liberty. The points brought about by Fanon are interesting since they apply to both scenarios in history and the local and international associations. By highlighting and illuminating the features for a minor-major scenario, Fanon enables his readers to comprehend the dynamics that he asserts are present across history in broad and wide scopes.
The article by Fanon is very insightful as it depicts the effect of oppression. Oppression only leads to violent acts through rebellions. It bis the only way people can get the freedom that they desire. It is why he asserts that the wounds inflicted by violence can only be healed by violence. By this, he means that the only way that people can heal from oppression is by freeing themselves from their oppressors.
Philip Foner. The Black Panthers Speak. (New York: Da Capo Press, 2002).
The author examines oppression from the lens of the Black Panther Movement. He uses excerpts from past documents to illustrate their worldview. On that note, the author works on the thesis that the Black Panthers Movement was revolutionary because it changed the way black people were treated by society. Since its inception in 1966 by Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton, the Black Panther Party stimulated hope, pride, misunderstanding, and some aspects of vilification.
In this document, Foner (17) manages to separate propaganda from Black Panther philosophy. He makes references to the key documents of the movement, such as Seal and Newton’s seminal treatise called “What We Want, What We Believe”; this document became the standard to measure the progress made by society. Further, Foner incorporates excerpts from The Black Panther, which was keen on the party’s development and rapid growth. His close selection of articles, cartoons, and flyers by the movement’s members gives insight to the mentality of its leaders.
Foner’s work is very insightful as it reveals the thoughts of the leaders of the Black Power movement and what motivated them. He sheds positive light on the movement and what they believed in. He demonstrates that their overall intention was good. Through their passionate appeals, Seale and Newton accurately portray the revolutionary aspirations and spirit of many Black Americans in the 1960s and 1970s. This was crucial in the fight towards equality.
Works Cited
Fanon, Frantz translated by Richard Philcox, The Wretched of the Earth. Grove Pr, 2004. Print.
Foner, Philip. The Black Panthers Speak. New York: Da Capo Press, 2002.