To be more specific they were communists distributing and teaching communist theory to their communities. Their organization also functioned and was organized by Marxism. And within that context it was Very Bad for the Black Panthers to be doing a better job of taking care of their communities than capitalists were.
For example, aside from aiming to monitor and end police brutality they also cared Deeply about their communities. So much that they also provided healthcare which included ambulances and vaccines. Black neighborhoods often had to wait Way longer for ambulances when necessary so the Black Panthers stepped up. They even had free clinics-funded by donations and ran by professionals- that provided some basic services that Black people were being underserved in.
Each local chapter was responsible for raising funds for its clinic from local businesses, churches, and healthcare professionals. Trusted volunteer professionals staffed the free clinics. These professionals included physicians, nurses, pharmacists, lab technicians, and medical students who also trained community members to staff the clinics as lab technicians, patient advocates, and community health workers.
[…]PFMCs primarily provided first aid and basic services such as childhood vaccinations and screenings for high blood pressure, lead poisoning, tuberculosis, and diabetes. In 1971 PFMCs began community education and screening of sickle cell anemia, a genetic disease mainly affecting people of African ancestry.
Free breakfast in school?
Also the Black Panthers. They saw hungry kids who were getting bad grades and falling asleep and decided to feed them to see if it helped. It did. So much so that schools and governments started implementing it.
Free Breakfast For School Children was one of the most effective. It began in January 1969 at an Episcopal church in Oakland, and within weeks it went from feeding a handful of kids to hundreds. The program was simple: party members and volunteers went to local grocery stores to solicit donations, consulted with nutritionists on healthful breakfast options for children, and prepared and served the food free of charge.
School officials immediately reported results in kids who had free breakfast before school. “The school principal came down and told us how different the children were,” Ruth Beckford, a parishioner who helped with the program, said later. “They weren’t falling asleep in class, they weren’t crying with stomach cramps.
Between healthcare, Marxism, providing food, monitoring police, and showing everyone that aid could be provided through voluntary donations and free of cost to those receiving it….
The Black Panthers were dangerous to capitalism.
It’s why cointelpro targeted them.
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