Bobby Seale, who served as chairman and co-founder of the Black Panther Party will visit the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum on Monday, Oct. 3 to discuss "From the Sixties to the Future." The public portion of the program begins at 6:45; seating is free, and is on a first-come basis.
Seale met Black Panther Party co-founder Huey P. Newton while attending Oakland City College (Merritt College). Both admirers of Malcolm X and his teachings, Seale and Newton founded the Black Panthers in 1965, the year after his assassination.
Forty-five Black Panther chapters were formed throughout the 1960s, with about 5,000 members. In 1969, Seale, one of the Chicago Eight, was charged with conspiracy to incite riots during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Charges against him were eventually dropped.
In 1974, Seale left the BPP altogether after moderating his more militant views and endorsing a nonviolent strategy that focused on providing community services to African Americans.
For more information about this program, visit the current Fortnightly, http://www.claremontmckenna.edu/mmca/temp_fn.asp?volumeFN=21&issueFN=02&typeFN=f.