He had been
impressed with the commitment of some of the white college students,
especially those connected with Students for a Democratic Society. He
recognized that there were some modern John Browns who could be
depended on to help the cause. In the 1968 election, the Panthers
joined with militant white groups which were seeking both racial
justice and an end to the war in Vietnam and formed the Peace and
Freedom Party. Although he was not old enough to meet the
constitutional requirements, Eldridge Cleaver was nominated as the
party's presidential candidate. In spite of the fact that the Peace
and Freedom Party received only a handful of votes, it was a means of
communicating its message to the American people.
In spite of President Nixon's appeal to the American people to "lower
their voices" of protest so that they might better be heard, many
believed that he only wanted quiet in order not to be disturbed. With
Nixon's election, black and white radicals felt that the white and
conservative backlash had taken over the "Establishment" and that
official repression was bound to follow.
Pages:
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420