We will endeavor to post questions, answers and commentary from some of the founders of the Black Panther Party to this section. We will have content from Bobby Seale, co-founder, Elbert ‘Big Man’ Howard, Emory Douglas, Black Panther artist and others shedding light on their experiences.
“I created our BPP colors of BLACK & BLUE. It had to do with our early sixties old blues research beginning with the early 1950’s song “I Don’t Know” Bobby Seale 2011 Philadelphia that had surviving africanisms in its lyrics and another folkloric song about ‘Stagolee’ (A folkloric lumpen proletariat who needed political consciousness) and many other blues singers going back to the early 1900’s. Studying our Black American and African history I had also read and digested LeRoi Jones’, (Amiri Baraka} ‘BLUES PEOPLE’ when it first came out in 1963.
Being a jazz drummer myself from 1957 in the military {USAF}, and my jazz drummer cousin Johnny Kirkwood first taught me swing at age 13, He played for Diana Washington & Lionel Hampton) all played a role that led to our BPP colors. The very April 1966 night of the fight Huey and I had with the Berkeley police we went up to the record boutiques on Telegraph Ave. at UC Berkeley to listen to some of the old blues singers including recordings of very old blues singers being interviewed about our African American folkloric history. That was why we were up there that night in the first place. (One of the many songs we listen to had the lyrics, “What did I do, to be so Black and Blue?”
To me those lyric became a metaphor in my thinking of Black people being beat up for two hundred years and the basic every day blues in our lives. So, five months or so later after we finished the Ten Point Program one day out in front of Merritt College Huey walked up dressed in a sport coat style Black Leather Jacket, Black slacks, pimp socks and a powder blue shirt. And like a movie director, I said hold it Huey. Huey was surprised at me looking at his dress as I said, “Huey this is our uniform.
This will be it. When we go out in the community we have to look organized along with our Ten Point Program. And these will be our Black Panther Party for Self Defense colors Huey. Black and Blue. Huey remember one of the songs we listed to the night of the fight with the police, “What did I do, to be so Black and Blue?” Huey these will be our organizational colors. Black and Blue!” Huey agreed.”
There were many reasons why I joined the Party, some are easy to explain and talk about and some are not so easy. Some reasons go deep into childhood experiences. But I’ll save that for the book about my life story.
I was discharged from the U.S. Air Force at Travis Air Force base in northern California in 1960. I liked Oakland and decided to stay a while. Besides, my hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee, had no more to offer me than when I enlisted in the Air Force in 1956. At least Oakland seemed to have a thriving Black community with friendly people.
Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael)