Bobby L. Rush, Rise of a Black Panther Politican: the Price of Resistance in America
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Wayne State University Wayne State University Dissertations January 2019 Bobby L. Rush, Rise Of A Black Panther Politican: The Price Of Resistance In America Samuel Hogsette Wayne State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations Part of the Other History Commons Recommended Citation Hogsette, Samuel, "Bobby L. Rush, Rise Of A Black Panther Politican: The Price Of Resistance In America" (2019). Wayne State University Dissertations. 2284. https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations/2284 This Open Access Embargo is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@WayneState. It has been accepted for inclusion in Wayne State University Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@WayneState. BOBBY L. RUSH RISE OF A BLACK PANTHER POLITICAN: THE LIMITS OF BLACK RESISTANCE IN AMERICA by SAMUEL J HOGSETTE DISSERTATION Submitted to the Graduate School of Wayne State University Detroit Michigan in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY 2019 MAJOR: HISTORY Approved By: _____________________________________ Advisor Date ______________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________ DEDICATION This Dissertation is dedicated to several people who have impacted my life in positive ways. In memory of my father Sammie Hogsette who never dreamed such a thing was possible. Black Panthers from Englewood High School Spurgeon “Jake” Winters and Walter “Brother” Johnson who exemplified the spirit of the Panther. Mentor Clyde Williams who helped me realize my full potential. To all the Members of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party. Aluta’ Continua. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the many people who assisted me in this project. First, I acknowledge my mother Mrs. Nona Charles who so very long ago set me firmly on the path of historical inquiry and knowledge. Special thanks are due to Dr. Elizabeth Faue a superb editor and excellent advisor. Without her steady hand this manuscript would not have been possible. Thanks, and heartfelt appreciation to the committee; Dr. Fran Shor, Dr. Danelle McGuire, Dr. Jakobi Williams, Dr. Michael Goldfield. Many people believed in me and this project encouraging me every step of the way. Thank you, Dr. Julia Smetanka, Schume’ Harrison, fraternity brothers Marc Brown, Charlie Rivers, and the Nupes of Greater Beta Chapter Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. I would be remiss if I did not include my Black Panther Family. Comrade Brother Blair Anderson, Comrade Brother Farooq Azzizidun, Minister of Education Billy ‘Che’ Brooks, Field Secretary Dr. Yvonne King, Comrade Sister Ann Campbell, Comrade Brother Bruce Dixon, Comrade Brother Lumumba Calloway, Comrade Sister Jackie Spicer, Comrade Brother Elmus ‘Stick Man” Burkes, and Illinois Chapter Black Panther Party Co-Founder Bob Brown. My Panther mentors the late Spurgeon ‘Jake’ Winters and Comrade Brother Walter ‘Brother’ Johnson who were instrumental in my joining the Party in late 1970 as a Community Worker. Understanding Chicago’s black community internal politics would have been problematic without the skillful navigation of Martha Palmer, niece of ‘Lu’ Palmer and longtime friend. Martha helped me navigate people, polices, and organizations within the wider context of Chicago style politics. Her knowledge of Bobby Rush, Lu Palmer, Harold Washington, Donne Trotter, Madeline Haithcock, Geraldine Lowry, Conrad Worrill, CBUC, BIPO, and the Regular Democratic party was invaluable. My partner Latrice Smith and my two fabulous step children Ashanti and Terrance helped me stay on task. Special thanks to my daughter Jeri Leslie Villareal for believing in the dream. To my many students, family, and friends, I say Thank You. ii TableTable of Contents Dedication ..................................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments ........................................................................................................................................ iii Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1 Chapter 1 Bobby L. Rush and the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party. 1968-1974 .......................... 7 Chapter 2 Chicago’s black communities and the Daley Machine 1955-1968 ............................................. 36 Chapter 3 Radical Democrat? 2 nd ward to Congress: The local goes national ............................................ 63 Chapter 4 Chicago style politics: Defeat and challenges; Obama and tea leaves ...................................... 93 Chapter 5 Black Panther Politician or Neo liberal Negro? ........................................................................ 118 References ................................................................................................................................................ 141 Abstract ..................................................................................................................................................... 152 Autobiographical Statement ..................................................................................................................... 154 ii 1 INTRODUCTION This dissertation traces the political trajectory of Bobby L. Rush from his earliest political influences to the halls of Congress. I choose Rush after toying with the idea of writing about Kwame Toure and his political development and practice. Two reasons caused me to shift my focus. The first was the upcoming 2012 book by Michael Thewell Ready for the Revolution. Although I did not know exactly what that book would contain, I did not want to present the same or similar information. The second reason was, if I was to research and present a sound dissertation It would necessitate travel to West Africa specifically Ghana and Guinea and learn to speak and/or read French. Failing that I would have to hire someone to translate for me. This was problematic as I did not have the funds necessary nor the inclination to delve into the French language. However, I knew that I wanted to write about a black political leader of the long sixties period who was a part of the radical phase of black liberation in America. This period was of interest to me because I like many thousands of young blacks in the Northern and Western cities had become radicalized in the 1960’s because of several factors not the least of which was the Civil Rights Movement. The 1966 Greenwood Mississippi call by Stokely Carmichael and Willie Ricks for “Black Power” energized and emboldened us to mount challenges to the entrenched system of racism in this country. Many people of my generation like myself formed or joined Black Student Unions in high schools and colleges to articulate our version of black power. This radical urge led me to the Englewood High School Black Student Union and more importantly a couple of interactions with two Illinois Chapter Black Panther Party members, Spurgeon “Jake” Winters and Walter “Brother” Johnson. Spurgeon directed me to come to 2350 West Madison Street and join the Illinois Branch of the Party. However, that meeting with the Illinois Panthers would transpire two years after his untimely death on November 13, 1969. As a result of these influences as well as resistance to the imperial machinations of the American government. I did not want to fight in Vietnam, nor join the army of occupation elsewhere in the 2 world. Thus, in late December 1970 I became a Community Worker of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party. I functioned in that capacity from 1970-1974. Consequently, with this type of background and because of my understanding of the Party formed from my intricate knowledge and connection with the ideology and nuances of how that group functioned, I decided to write about the Illinois Chapter. However, like the Kwame Toure idea I discovered that another scholar had a forthcoming book. The book From the Bullet to the Ballot: The Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party and Racial Coalition Politics in Chicago by Dr. Jakobi Williams covered much of the narrative I wanted to examine. Furthermore, Dr. Jon Rice had written a 1998 PhD Dissertation at Northern Illinois University entitled, Black Radicalism on Chicago’s West Side: a history of the Illinois Black Panther Party. My quandary was how to tell a unique story of the Party without retelling the substance of the narratives covered by Jon Rice or Jakobi Williams. Also, how do I meet the criteria for a dissertation within the context of telling the Party story from my perspective? What would be my subject? What would be my argument? As I contemplated these and other questions, the answer came to me like a lightning bolt from the heavens. There was a compelling story arising from the Illinois Chapter that was untold. An interesting narrative that I could examine and write about that no one else had explored or written about. In telling this story I could meet all the requirements for a sound body of scholarly work and deliver an interesting and compelling narrative. Thus, was born Bobby L. Rush, Rise of a Black Panther Politician: The Limits of Black Resistance in America. Prior to Bobby Rush it is safe to say that no other former Black Panther leader had reached