Kathleen Cleaver BPM- Violence

Kathleen Cleaver’s visit to the College was very fruitful and her presentation covered the history of the Black Panther organization. Cleaver was very intentional to try to unravel the misconception of the Black Panthers as a group that promoted violence. The Black Panthers did believe in the right to bear arms and one of their famous tactics was to follow police officers active in black neighborhoods and prevent violence by being present with guns. However, this tactic was in response to police brutality from racist police officers.

Cleaver stated that protestors wanted the Black Panthers to supply guns so they could retaliate for the death of MLK and ongoing police brutality. When the Black Panthers refused to support them that way, two carloads of protestors, including Black Panthers Eldridge Cleaver and Bobby Hutton, decided to act out in violence. In this act Bobby was killed and Eldridge Cleaver was to be arrested. Ultimately, the movement lost access to some of their leaders because of violence, so it makes sense that Kathleen Cleaver would be opposed such tactics and labels.

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