To kick off Black History Month programming, coordinators Amy Brown (‘25) and Kaili Martinez-Beasely ( ‘27) presented a teach-in on the Black Panthers and Weather Underground in collaboration with Sisterhood* and the Impact Center. The event, held in the Quita Woodward Room on Feb. 3, garnered around twenty audience members and provided a detailed history of the two activist organizations.
Brown and Martinez-Beasely began by describing the origins of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), an organization founded in 1960 at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, with its origins in the student branch of the League for Industrial Democracy. SDS was heavily inspired by civil rights organizations, such as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), but as the US increased its involvement in Vietnam, SDS shifted its focus towards anti-Vietnam War protest.
Its membership continued to increase until 1969, when SDS split into several factions, including Revolutionary Youth Movement (RYM), or the Weather Underground, a majority white collective which planned to function as a source of support for autonomous nationalist groups, with a focus on direct actions.
After this brief overview of the emergence of the Weather Underground, Brown and Martinez-Beasely discussed the Black Panthers. Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, who met during their time at Merritt College, founded the Black Panthers in 1966 in Oakland, California. They wanted to promote the use of self-defense among African-Americans, and issued a Ten Point Program that outlined the desires of the Panthers for African-American people.
Brown discussed how, as students, it’s interesting to think about how this radical organization had its origins in a collegiate setting. She added, “Being Black in America will radicalize you.”
The Black Panthers did not exclusively promote self-defense. They also implemented community programs, such a free breakfast program and other community survival initiatives, many of which were led by female members.
On the other hand, the Weather Underground’s first actions were more disruptive. For example, the Days of Rage, which took place in Chicago during October 1969, saw violent displays of anger from Weatherman and other protestors in response to the Vietnam War. However, the head of the Chicago chapter of the Black Panthers, Fred Hampton, opposed the destructive protests.
In addition to the Black Panther’s disdain for the showy actions facilitated by the Weather Underground, they also disapproved of the organization’s approval of the use of psychedelics.
The Black Panthers also inspired the creation of the Black Guerilla Family, which was founded by George Jackson while he was incarcerated. He created the organization because he felt that Newton had neglected the Panthers who had been sentenced to prison.
Brown and Martinez-Beasely spent time talking about Angela Davis, who visited Swarthmore College last semester. Davis was an active member of the Black Panthers. She was associated with the Soledad Brothers (George Jackson, John Clutchette, and Fleeta Drumgo), who were accused of killing a prison guard.
After George Jackson’s trial, an escape and kidnapping attempt was made in order to prevent his prosecution. Several people were killed and Davis was accused of involvement. She was arrested in 1970 and spent eighteen months in jail, but was eventually acquitted of all charges.
Next, Brown and Martinez-Beasely discussed popular media representations of the Black Panthers. They mentioned two movies: The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020) and Judas and the Black Messiah (2021).
The Trial of the Chicago 7 focuses on the trial of eight activists, accused of inciting riots during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, including Bobby Seale. Brown relayed her views of the film; she stated that while the movie brings viewers into a radical moment, it leaves them with a liberal perspective.
Judas and the Black Messiah is about the assassination of Fred Hampton, Deputy Chairman of the Black Panthers and Chair of the Illinois Chapter. Hampton was betrayed by FBI informant William O’Neal and killed in a raid on his apartment in 1969, an instance of the FBI’s illegal counterintelligence programming (COINTELPRO), that was later exposed by a break-in at an FBI office in Media, Pennsylvania during which sensitive documents about the FBI’s efforts were stolen and subsequently made public. (This endeavor facilitated by former Haverford College professor Bill Davidon).
Finally, the teach-in concluded with an examination of the Weather Underground’s push towards more covert programming. They began to focus on costly property damage, publishing comuniques after they facilitated bombings and focusing on supporting other autonomous revolutionaries.
The only instance during which people were killed was accidental; while several Weather Underground members were attempting to construct a bomb, it detonated, killing several people including Bryn Mawr graduate Diana Oughton. Bryn Mawr graduate Kathy Boudin was also involved in the Weather Underground, and was arrested for participation in a robbery organized by the Black Liberation Army.
Ultimately, the Weather Underground shifted their ideals after the Vietnam War concluded in 1975. They betrayed their original values, shifting from their staunch anti-racist roots in favor of facilitating a multi-race working-class coalition. The Black Panther Party was substantially weakened by the FBI’s intensive COINTELPRO efforts, losing membership and support until its end in the 1980s.
The legacy of these two radical political organizations lives on today. They continue to influence the political landscape of the United States and remain important subjects of discussion, as was evidenced by February 3’s teach-in.
