In his final years, however, he suffered from major drug/alcohol problems and faced more prison time for weapons possession, financial misappropriations and parole violations. in social philosophy from the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 1980. Later Years and DeathĮven with his legal troubles, Newton returned to school, earning a Ph.D. The murder case was eventually dismissed after two trials ended with deadlocked juries, while the tailor refused to testify in court in relation to assault charges. To avoid prosecution, he fled to Cuba in 1974, but returned to the U.S. Key members left while Newton and Eldridge Cleaver, the party's minister of information, split ways.īy mid-decade, Newton faced more criminal charges when he was accused of murdering a 17-year-old sex worker and assaulting a tailor. Edgar Hoover, was clandestinely involved in the organization's unraveling. But the Panthers began to fall apart due to factionalism, with later allegations surfacing that the FBI, under J.
Huey p. newton more people free#
In the 1970s, Newton aimed to take the Panthers in a new direction that emphasized democratic socialism, community interconnectedness and services for the poor, including items like free lunch programs and urban clinics. He was freed in 1970 after an appeals process deemed that incorrect deliberation procedures had been implemented during the trial. But public pressure - "Free Huey" became a popular slogan of the day - helped Newton's cause.
He was later convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced to two to 15 years in prison. Newton himself was arrested the previous year for allegedly killing an Oakland police officer during a traffic stop. The party's treasurer, Bobby Hutton, was killed while still a teenager during one of these conflicts in 1968. Panther members ultimately clashed with police several times. Members of the group would go to arrests in progress and watch for abuse. The Black Panthers wanted to improve life in Black communities and took a stance against police brutality in urban neighborhoods by mostly white cops. (Newton actually wasn't present at the demonstration.) The action was a shocking one that made news across the country, and Newton emerged as a leading figure in the Black militant movement. For example, to protest a gun bill in 1967, members of the Panthers entered the California Legislature armed. The organization itself was not afraid to punctuate its message with dramatic appearances. It also called for an end to economic exploitation of Black communities, along with military exemption. The group set forth its political goals in a document entitled the Ten-Point Program, which called for better housing, jobs and education for African Americans. A famous photograph shows Newton - the group's minister of defense - holding a gun in one hand and a spear in the other. Unlike many of the other social and political organizers of the time, they took a more militant stance to the plight of Black communities in America. Founded in 1966, they called their group the Black Panther Party for Self Defense. The two were briefly involved with political groups at the school before they set out to create one of their own. In the mid-1960s, Newton decided to pursue his education at Merritt College, during which time he received a months-long prison term for a knife assault, and later attended the University of San Francisco School of Law. He nonetheless became his own teacher, learning to read by himself. Although Newton graduated high school in 1959, he was considered barely literate. Though later stating he was close to his family, the youngster had a difficult time early in life, which was reflected in highly erratic behavior at school and on the streets.ĭespite having multiple suspensions and run-ins with the law as a teen, Newton began to take his education seriously, finding inspiration when his older brother Melvin earned a masters in social work. The youngest of seven siblings, he and his family moved to Oakland, California when Newton was a toddler. Newton helped establish the African American political organization the Black Panther Party, and became a leading figure in the Black Power movement of the 1960s. Huey Percy Newton was born on February 17, 1942, in Monroe, Louisiana. Struggling with drug and alcohol addiction in his later years, he was killed in 1989 in Oakland. Newton faced a number of criminal charges over the years and at one point fled to Cuba before returning to the U.S. The organization was central to the Black Power movement, making headlines with its controversial rhetoric and militaristic style. Newton and Bobby Seale founded the left-wing Black Panther Party for Self Defense in Oakland, California.
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