r- ':.. ,· tt l- ~1 - ~-allllll!!!!lllt'lll\n -- ~1111!1!!!!!! -- amAn I ~ - Published by the Commemoration Committee for the.Black Panther Party Volume 16, Number 2 Suggested Donation $2.00 October 2006 40th Annivenarv commemoratiOn I of the 111011 P111111r P1r1v · · A time to reaffirm a cadre commitment to the Ten-Point Program By Melvin Dickson m which we build the IO-Point ~ ~ With workshops, presentations, Program and bring revolutionary § book-signings, and other events intercoinmunalism to life in our own throughout the month of October, for­ land and hemisphere as a primary aim. mer Black Panther Party members, Some of us in the BPP were families and friends from all parts of "cadre." Many of the younger genera­ the country and the world will cele­ tion may not know what that term rep­ brate and commemorate the 40th resents - those of us who do must Anniversary of the founding of the teach its meaning, and the necessity Black Panther Party (BPP), centered for cadre-based, professional practice in , Oakland, California_ People will . to successfully overcome, through visit Black _Panther historical sites in organization, the problems encircling West Oakland, North Oakland, East our class and the struggle today. Oakland as well as South Berkeley On this 40th Anniversary of its and Richmond, where the vati-ous BPP founding by Huey · P. Newton and headquarters, branches and facilities Bobby Seale, we are commemorating began. Farmer members will take pic­ the heroism and victories of the Black tures together at the Alameda County Panther Party. As we honor the heroes· court building where, 38 years ago, and soldiers of the movement, both the-Free Huey Movement set the polit­ living and dead; as we pay tribute to ical passions of the black community the nobility of principle and dignity of and the country on fire. purpose embodied by the legacy of the­ Most importantly, we will -speak Black Panther Party, we must simulta­ to lessons learned from the past, neously commit ourselves to consum­ Artwork by .BPP former Minister of Culture honors rank and address present conditions of the mating these goals of the Black file BPP members- on the oc·casidn -df the celebration of the struggle, and call for a renewal - a Panth~r Party, witho'llt repeating the 40th Anniversary of the founding of the BPP, at Oakland's cohesive, organized drive for a future Continued on page 8 Malanga Casque/ord Cen_ter for The Arts, October 13-15, 2006. Li'lBobby Hutton Literacy Campaign Expands - - By Commemorator Staff _ September block party to help enroll At the invitation ofthe pastor and additional students and voluntf er. members of South Berkeley's McGee tutors. CCBPP Operations Manager Avenue Baptist Chutch, the Li 'l Melvin Dickson introduced them to Bobby Hutton Literacy Campaign will Pastor Michael Smith of the McGee expand its literacy sessions to this new Avenue Baptist Church and to block site. To begin expansion of the cam- party coordinator Elizabeth Coleman. paign into this community, volunteer ."Our public schools today are defund­ organizers from - Commemoration ed and deprioritized ;- it is part of Committee for the Black Panther Party 'dummying down' the poor and minor­ (CCBPP) were invited to participate in ity youth," said Dickson. "Contrast a neighborhood block party held on this with statistics from socialist Cuba, Septem~er 23 in order to enroll new or Venezuela today under , their students and tutors alike. CCBPP Bolivarian Revolution, and we get a sponsored Li '1 Bobby Hutton Literacy glimpse of wh~t could be, if we take­ sessions will begin at this church site the power to determine policy for our Li'/ Bobby Hutton Literacy Campaign organizers enrolled new on October 24. More volunteer tutors class." students at a block party hosted by McGee Ave. Baptist Church. and organizers are needed to continue CCBPP volunteer organizers this drive to deliver CCBPP's literacy Shamika Turner and Joyce Hutton campaign throughout our community, (niece of Li'l Bobby) ran the sign-up setting an example for the nation at a table at the event, while CCBPP time when many of our children grad- Volunteers .Coordinator Charles Bi-Partis·an War on the Poor ................ Page 2 uate public schools but are still func- Dubois headed up circulating at the 40th Anniversary Comments .·... • .......... .Page 3 tionally illiterate. block party to find those interested in Mumia Update ........................... .Page 4 A dozen tutors and students from participating in the literacy program Education for All in Venezuela .............. Page 7 the Li'l Bobby Hutton Literacy and other CCBPP activities. Most Romaine "Chip" -Petition ............. · -~ ... .Page 13 Rrogram's S~uth B,·6)rkeley,Cornnnit1iJy ·, atteqdees1<; a_m~-by .G<;~.P.P.'s J ~l)le. to _ . _·, .GhurcIJ,. tteaehrn-g site came to , the --.·;; -1 _ •• Continued on-page 10 -~-"' Page 2 The Commemorator October 2006 I EDITORUL . I . t h p Bi-Partisan War~on e oorJ. ·- --~' ·- Let's Deal with the Solution . The Democratic and Republican war on the poor, and their systematic The principles and goals of the assault on working class families with Black Panther Party are still relevant children, continues throughout the today, and one of the main concerns of country. Mass closings of _public the BPP platform was the problem of schools, libraries, clinics, hospitals, quality education and relevant educa­ industries and firing of working people tion needed to change exploitive con­ by downsizing and outsourcing have . ditions confronted by our class. As a led to a spiraling decline in available community supported, all volunteer living wage jobs and a lack of afford­ activity, the CCBPP Literacy able, safe and sanitary housing. The Campaign is not designed to do the job U.S. has the largest per capita prison of federal, state and local government population in the world, not coinciden­ bodies who have taxing powers and tally comprised of mostly poor people are mandated by law to provide educa­ and people of color, with "Three tional services to the population. Strikes and You're Out" policies send­ We do, however, seek to build ing more youth and younger people campaigns that make it possible for into a life of indentured servitude Demonstration in 2004 in Philadelphia on behalf of Mumia our people to organize together and to behind prison walls for both public and Abu-Jamal who is on death-row fighting for his life. gain power over the means to deter­ private corporate profits. mine our rights to living wages, our As international monopoly capital­ These cuts are carried out in spite of down" to the poor, and presto-change- rights to housrng, food, education, ' ist profiteers preach their empty "fam­ the fac,t that,. nationally, illiteracy is at o, with the "magic of the capitalist. health services and other absolute ily values," entire households are an all time high. In inner cities, more market," jobs would be created anl necessities, as the place to begin in driven into homelessness due to than half of black males do not finish social programs funded and organized turning this-situation around. We must "urban renewal" schemes turned. into high school. In Oakland, 85,000 adults by the private sector. start that example here; build that urban removal. Homeless, often work­ are functionally illiterate within a pop­ The grim reality for working example across the nation; demand ing people, become a permanent fea­ ulation that totals 400,000. That's class people has been that .the public that the imperialist pursuits of the ture on our streets, in the doorways of almost one quarter of the population. libraries, schools, clinics, hospitals, American empire be brought to a halt apartment buildings · and businesses, But when the State of California etc., are neglecte_d, lose funding and and those billions in monies and hun­ and under highways anq bridges in took control of the Oakland Public then are closed down; social pro- · dreds of thousands of hours of labor this, the "land of the free." Schools three years ago as a result of grams become targets for attack value be turned to serving the people -The gap between the ri~h a;n~ Jh_e ; aq~g~tions pf l;llis~a.n.~g~1,11~p.t, . the while larg~ . cotporations are • given of thi,s country and working people • '.1 ;,..._,,,,,,1 ·"' :'"1;''1f:', I G , 0\, "\i:1;'()\ ;• !,t\, , 1 ·"'-., ·-,,~. P~<?~ _continues to widen. Th~.~~<;ilfl:_i.ff. ? state started by firing hupdJeds of free reig,~;,) ~~,,. P~!; ,~.~i.fe ~· .,.E}l,~~ ~c/ t~r-~~.R-~~~~ our hemisphere ,a_n?~· the hands and bank accounts of 'the teachers and ultimately closed dozens resources for · corporate ' profits. · beyond. If'you are interested in learn-· monopoly capitalist class continues to of schools and libraries! Wages have decreased and jobs have ing how to organize for solutio_ns for grow in obscene disproportions. In Current government fiscal policy, disappeared - job security is now a : our class, please call: 510-652-7170. 2003, it was recorded by the · gov~in- . judicial cod~s and budgeting mecha­ thing of the past. All Power to the People! c:,1(\' · ment's own study that the top 1% ' of nisms• · .,. result : 'in/ the inner• cities• ! schools households owned 57.5% of the corpo­ acting as holding pens for a population Opinions and positions taken in articles with bylines are those of their writers. The views rate wealth - up by 5.4% froni the group that the status quo fears more expressed in the bylined editorials and opinion pieces published by The Commemorator do year before. The top group's share of each day - knowing that the job mar­ not necessarily indicate its endorsement or support - Editor the.