By Ariyana Griffin & Camille Dash
Judy Juanita, whose birth name was Juith Hart grew up in Oakland, California and attended San Francisco State University where she met Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale while they were recruiting for the Black Panther Party at the University. In 1967 she joined and started her position as the editor of The Black Panther, the Black Panther Party’s newspaper.
Al Prentice ‘Bunchy’ Carter was born and raised in Los Angeles, he joined the Black Panther Party in 1967 after meeting Huey Newton. In 1968 he started the Southern California chapter of the Black Panther Party.The Southern California chapter is well known for their “Free Breakfast Program” which provided groceries and meals to poor people in their community. Carter was shot and killed on January 17, 1969 on UCLA’s campus in Campbell’s Hall.
Timothy Lawrence Hayes was born on February 16, 1950. He was known for being a jazz musician and a writer for the underground newspaper. However, he was widely known for being an activist since he was very young. He often attended community meetings on the Atlanta Student Movement and he attended Morehouse College. Hayes dropped out once he joined the Black Panther Party, and he became the founder of the Atlanta Chapter of the Black Panther party.
Pat Parker was born January 20, 1944, she was well known for being a poet and an activist. Her poetry talked a lot about Black issues, poverty, feminism and her sexuality. She joined the Black Panther party but she was also involved with the Black Women's Revolutionary Council. In her work in activism she made sure to be a voice for the LGBTQ community, people of color, and those who suffered from domestic violence.
In December 1966, Robert “Bobby” Hutton became the first recruit to join the Black Panther Party at age 16. He was also the first member to be killed by the police.
Hutton was born in Jefferson County, Arkansas on April 21, 1950 to John D, Hutton and Dolly Mae Mitchner-Hutton. He was the youngest of three children. In 1953, his family relocated to Oakland, California after being harassed by racist groups associated with the Ku Klux Klan.
According to blackpast.org, Hutton states that he joined The Party because he wanted to make a difference in his community and that he believed in The Party’s Ten-Point Program. In 1967, Hutton participated in a demonstration organized by the Black Panther Party at the California State Capitol Building, to protest the Mulford Act, which prohibited the carrying of firearms in public places. Hutton was arrested with many other members for carrying weapons into the State Capitol.
On April 6. 1968, following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Hutton was traveling with Eldridge Cleaver and other Party members. The group confronted Oakland Police officers and ultimately two officers were shot. Hutton and Cleaver fled to an apartment building where they engaged in a 90-minute gun battle with the Oakland Police Department.
As a result, Cleaver was wounded, and Hutton voluntarily surrendered. Although, Hutton had stripped down to his underwear and had his hands up to prove he was unarmed, OPD shot Hutton 12 times, leading to his death.
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