The Black Panther Party's Revolutionary Identity and the People's Campaign of 1973
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University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies The Vault: Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2021-01-20 The Ballot before the Bullet: The Black Panther Party's Revolutionary Identity and the People's Campaign of 1973 Grabia, Kayla Grabia, K. (2021). The Ballot before the Bullet: The Black Panther Party's Revolutionary Identity and the People's Campaign of 1973 (Unpublished master's thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. http://hdl.handle.net/1880/113010 master thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY The Ballot before the Bullet: The Black Panther Party’s Revolutionary Identity and the People’s Campaign of 1973 by Kayla Grabia A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS GRADUATE PROGRAM IN HISTORY CALGARY, ALBERTA JANUARY, 2021 © Kayla Grabia 2021 Abstract Historical analysis of the Black Panther Party (BPP) has primarily concentrated on the founding of the organization in 1966 till 1971 when two key leaders– Huey P. Newton and Eldridge Cleaver— disagreed about the use of self-defence as the organization’s sole revolutionary strategy. This moment, popularly known as the Split, marked the beginning of a new era of the Panthers, led by Newton, that pursued revolutionary change through mainstream electoral politics. As a result, the organization’s revolutionary identity and performance evolved during this period. However, this transition has been interpreted through a binary of reform vs. revolution associated with the Civil Rights Movement and Black Power Movement, reclassifying BPP as social democratic and reformist without examining the reasoning that fueled the use of elections as a practical revolutionary tool. This study argues that the People’s Campaign of 1973 was part of the Party’s long-term strategy to achieve a revolution and liberate oppressed people. Themes of gender, race, and class are examined throughout this thesis. Chapter One explores the internal and external influences that forced Newton to rethink the BPP’s strategy and how the reframed approach was received by Party members and the public. The trajectory of the election is examined in Chapter Two through analysis of newspaper and political campaign material to reveal how the People’s Campaign and candidates Elaine Brown and Bobby Seale were represented. The third chapter explores the daily contributions and dedication of Party members in the field to increase voter registration and raise political consciousness by connecting with low-income, Black, and minority people in Oakland, California. The thesis concludes that ideologically and practically the People’s Campaign of 1973 represented the evolution of the Black Panthers’ revolutionary identity and performance beyond self-defence. ii Acknowledgements To my supervisor Dr. Elizabeth Jameson, I will be forever grateful for the opportunity you granted me to be your graduate student. Your wisdom, passion, and knowledge not only made this study a possibility, but it has also inspired and challenged me to be a better student of history. Without your kindness and patience, especially in my time of need, I am not sure I would have finished this thesis. I am very thankful for Lori Somner and her guidance and support. Thank you to Dr. Jewel Spangler for always having time to talk to me about my project during my time at the University of Calgary, and Dr. Paul Chastko and Dr. Ted McCoy for being a part of my committee and providing me with insights to improve my future research. A special thank you to Tim Noakes, head of the University Special Collections Department at Stanford University that assisted me during my research in September of 2017. The accommodations made allowed me to collect all the material I needed to complete this project. Thank you to my mother Zail, my grandmothers Sharron and Cheryl, and my grandfather Michael for nurturing my love of learning that has shaped the woman I am today. To my brother Cyrus and my sister Halia, you are bright lights in a dark world, and I am lucky to be your sister. To Mark Shaw for cheering me on and supporting me. And to Jordan Ortega, for the last two years you have brought so much joy to my life, thank you for helping me get back to what is important. There are so many wonderful people that have read and supported me throughout, but Joseph Hubbard has been my foundation, sounding board, and everything in between. Our walks, coffee dates, playlists, and much more are intricately connected with the outcome of this journey. September 6, 2016 brought me a friendship I will cherish for a lifetime. Lastly, to Mya Grabia. Your love and support has helped me get to this finish line. I am thankful every day you are my sister, and that we have persevered through this life together. iii For all the strong women in my life, you are my fire. iv Table of Contents Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ iii Dedication ...................................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents .............................................................................................................................v List of Figures and Tables.............................................................................................................. vi Introduction ......................................................................................................................................1 Chapter One: Reframing Revolutionary Tactics: Huey P. Newton and the Evolution of Black Panther Party Ideology ..................................................................................................................25 Chapter Two: “For Righteous people’s government, Chairman Bobby is the man.” The People’s Campaign and Representing the Revolution .................................................................................61 Chapter Three: Behind the Headlines: Campaign Workers and the Frontlines of Political Consciousness ..............................................................................................................................103 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................139 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................146 v List of Figures and Tables Figures Figure 1: Picture of Attendance at the Black Community Survival Conference ...........................54 Figure 2: Picture of Bobby Seale Packing Bags of Groceries .......................................................54 Figure 3: Black Panther Campaign Map for Sections 1-8 .............................................................72 Figure 4: John Reading “Together” Campaign Brochure ..............................................................79 Figure 5: John Reading “It Takes Leadership” Brochure ..............................................................79 Figure 6: Leaflet for Voter Registration Dance in Section 3 .......................................................118 Tables Table 1: Demographic Characteristics of Individuals Surveyed on October 20, 1972 .................57 Table 2: Candidate Preference by Race of Individuals Surveyed on April 6, 1973 ......................84 Table 3: Candidate Preference by Age of Individuals Surveyed on April 6, 1973 .......................84 Table 4: Candidate Preference by Race and Income of Individuals Surveyed on April 6, 1973 ..84 Table 5: BPP Sections 1-8 Final Election Results for Elaine Brown, April 17, 1973 .................100 Table 6: BPP Sections 1-8 Final Election Results for Bobby Seale, May 15, 1973 ....................100 Table 7: Assignment of Panther Members to Section Leader and Assistant Positions ...............107 vi Introduction In an attempt to explain the rise of Black Power, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in 1967: [T]he Northern ghetto dweller still lives in a schizophrenic social milieu. In the past decade he supported and derived pride from Southern struggles and accomplishment. Yet the civil rights revolution appeared to drain energy from the North, energy that flowed South to transform life there while stagnation blanketed Northern Negro communities. This was a decade of role reversal. The North, heretofore vital, languished, while the traditionally passive South burst with dynamic vigor. The North at best stood still as the South caught up.1 The language employed by Dr. King reveals the dichotomies categories of the 1960s that have become deeply entrenched in memory and history thereafter: North versus South, non-violence versus self-defence, and Black Power versus Civil Rights.2 Among the most concerning is the belief that the only legitimate form of civil rights activism