In Oakland, the Black Panthers
began by keeping the police under surveillance as a means of limiting
their alleged brutality. Panther members carried registered guns and
displayed them openly as the law permitted. Whenever the police
stopped to question someone, the following Panther car also stopped.
Then, the Panthers would stand nearby displaying their weapons, and
someone who had some legal training, would inform the individual being
questioned by the police what his legal rights were. The police were
extremely angry at this harassment and looked for ways to retaliate.
The best-known Panther recruit was Eldridge Cleaver who, like Malcolm
X, had educated himself while in prison. Cleaver wrote several
articles for Ramparts magazine, and became well known for his book
Soul on Ice. His vivid writing helped the Panthers in spreading their
ideas widely. Gradually, chapters of the Black Panther party were
established in ghettoes all across America.
Besides demanding legal rights for blacks, the Black Panthers
developed a ten-point program demanding decent jobs and decent
housing.
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