Black panthers - pioneers of OC activism

[Metz]

Go figure...

THE EIGHTH-GRADE STUDENTS*gathering on the west lawn of the state capitol in Sacramento were planning to lunch on fried chicken with California’s new governor, Ronald Reagan, and then tour the granite building constructed a century earlier to resemble the nation’s Capitol. But the festivities were interrupted by the arrival of 30 young black men and women carrying .357 Magnums, 12-gauge shotguns, and .45-caliber pistols.

The 24 men and six women climbed the capitol steps, and one man, Bobby Seale, began to read from a prepared statement. “The American people in general and the black people in particular,” he announced, must take careful note of the racist California legislature aimed at keeping the black people disarmed and powerless Black people have begged, prayed, petitioned, demonstrated, and everything else to get the racist power structure of America to right the wrongs which have historically been perpetuated against black people The time has come for black people to arm themselves against this terror before it is too late.Seale then turned to the others. “All right, brothers, come on. We’re going inside.” He opened the door, and the radicals walked straight into the state’s most important government building, loaded guns in hand. No metal detectors stood in their way

It was May 2, 1967, and the Black Panthers’ invasion of the California statehouse launched the modern gun-rights movement.

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/...f-guns/308608/

[dazeeman]

You're not supposed to post stuff like this on PAFOA bro. We don't like that kind of gun-rights activism around these parts. 'Murica!!

[ItchyTick]

Gun control in the US has always been racist.

[Totez]

Gun control in the US has always been racist.

QFT

Most gun laws that are around today didn't apply to whites in practice. The Good-Ol'-Boy system was generally accepted. Poor whites and most blacks were the targeted classes for the regulations.

Nowadays we are less racist and we actively discriminate against everyone equally except the uber rich and political overlords.

[Hodgie]

My have things changed, if a black man or woman speak positively of the 2A, gun's or the NRA they are labeled a sell out, or a paid shill for the man.

[donotknowme]

Ronald Reagan was governor at the time and signed the first law making what the black panthers did illegal so they couldn't do it again. A lot of the RR worshipers forget that.

[bill gray]

Actually, the Deacons for Justice existed in several States in the South during the early Civil Rights movement. I believe they were involved in body guarding several white Freedom Riders and Martin Luther King. There was a famous march over a bridge in the South (the name escapes me). Civil Rights leaders asked the State Police to go along for the protection of the marchers. The Police refused. The leaders said, fine, we will march under the protection of the Deacons who will be openly armed. Rather than have the image beamed around the world of armed black men marching openly to protect against the Klan, the State Police changed their minds and did patrol alongside the marchers. There have been two books published recently about armed resistance by African Americans going back to Revolutionary War times. The Congress of Racial Equality is strong on self defense. You do not hear about this from the current civil rights industry leaders.

[bigandy1966]

Its ironic how anti gun laws were created to disarm blacks by white southern democrats and the ones who have taken up the banner are Black Democrats. The same segment of the population who are most likely to be shot, assaulted, raped or murdered are the ones begging to be disarmed and made powerless.

[Bang]

The Black Panthers movement rose simultaneously with the rise of Islam in the prisons and other inroads. Many bank robberies of the times were committed to fund Islamic-backed activities.

[Willie D]

Good article. And a reminder of how open carry helped expand gun rights for all in CA...oh wait.