The Black Panther Party: Ties to Jersey City
The Black Panther Party’s history, both in Jersey City and nationwide, has created the foundation for activists fighting police brutality against black Americans as well as those involved in efforts regarding mutual aid.
The Black Panthers are a politically charged organization with a long history of sparking controversy and inspiring change. Founded in 1966 by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, their revolutionary ideology and commitment to social justice have made lasting impressions on society. As the Panthers grew, so did their presence in cities across the United States, and Jersey City was no exception. This vibrant city was home to a local chapter of the Black Panther Party that fought for the rights of the oppressed and for economic and social justice in the community. They organized rallies, established food programs, and protested against police brutality and the criminalization of black people. The Panthers left an indelible mark on Jersey City and their legacy continues to influence the city today.
The Black Panther Party
In 1966, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale established the Black Panther Party (BPP) in Oakland, California, as a political organization to combat police brutality against the African American community. Their early activities generally involved monitoring the actions of police in black communities. However, the founders had an even larger goal in mind: they wanted the party to push for more African Americans to get elected to political offices. They recognized that to truly achieve their incentive of eliminating police brutality, concrete regulations and laws had to be created, which could only realistically happen with their members in government positions. The party’s political platform drew on some ideas from internationalist Marxist-Leninist ideology, but was more significantly derived from ideas of black liberation originating from the time period’s larger Black Power movement.
Jersey City’s Chapter of the Black Panthers
At the party’s peak in the late 1960’s, Panther membership exceeded 2,000 members, with at least 45 chapters in major cities across the United States. The party’s Jersey City chapter formed on August 15, 1968, in the city's Bergen-Lafayette ward. It was the fourth one to exist in New Jersey, The Jersey City chapter was largely supported by Reverend Robert Castle, who supplied resources through his church to help them get their footing. While the Jersey City chapter was only formally active for two years, it has a short and turbulent history that directly mirrors what the party was facing on a national level at the time. Controversy and violence related to the party overshadowed their attempts to create a better environment for the city’s African American community. Local historian Brian Carroll put together a detailed video account of the chapter.
While much of the Jersey City chapter’s history is still not clear, some key events have been recorded. For instance, in November 1968, there was a drive-by shooting of the police precinct. Police said they had no leads and no suspects. However, the next day, an acid bomb exploded in the Newark BPP office. A party member was injured and blamed the police, calling it “obviously retaliation.” Subsequently, the mayor and police chief blamed the BPP for the shooting. That December, three Panthers were charged for the shooting, and also blamed for the acid-bombing. They were Isaiah Rowley, Victor Perez, and Charles Hicks – key local organizers of the party in Jersey City.
The mayor used this as a chance to condemn an anti-poverty program that Rowley also worked with. The program, which the Jersey City BPP was involved with, helped ex- offenders find jobs and reintegrate into society. The mayor had opposed the program’s incentives from day one. This program was just one of many social programs that the BPP was involved with. One of the more significant ones was Free Breakfast for Children Program. The program was launched to feed under-resourced African American children and combat hunger - which the Panthers referred to as “one of the greatest forms of oppression.” It addressed the social and economic needs of black communities at the time, serving home-cooked breakfast five days a week to schoolchildren. By 1969, the program was in every city with a BPP chapter, including Jersey City. At its peak, the nationwide Free Breakfast Program fed thousands of children each day - it was overwhelmingly successful. The program paved the way for public schools nationwide that provide free breakfasts and lunches to children in need.
Aside from their work in social programs to improve the lives of African Americans in Jersey City, little is known about the BPP chapter’s activities. Much of their organizing was targeted on rat-infested housing, using rent strikes to press landlords for improvements. They also built some alliances with students at St. Peters College - 200 St. Peters students rallied for Rowley and the other Panthers, and Reverend Castle also spoke out in their defense. While the BPP chapter was involved with positive things like these, other violent attacks similar to the shooting incident overshadowed them in the public eye.
On New Year's Day 1969, a pipebomb was thrown at the Jersey City police precinct. Newark councilman Anthony Imperiale called a convergence of white conservatives from around the East Coast to discuss the potential organization of vigilante groups against the Panthers. Imperiale had already been running a white vigilante group under the front of a “First Aid Squad” in Newark's north ward. Meanwhile, the initiative supporting ex-offenders in Jersey City got shut down upon federal review, and the Free Breakfast Program was receiving retaliation from the FBI.
Another attack, a firebombing, shook the BPP chapter in 1970. The bombers were arrested - men from a right-wing religious sect in Union City, the Organization of God's People. Similar attacks related to the party followed. Due to the overwhelming violence, the BPP closed their Jersey City office in February of 1970. The retaliation and legal prosecution they faced had decreased their numbers and worn them down.
Simultaneously, the BPP was facing backlash on a national level. The FBI had declared them a communist organization and an enemy of the United States government because of their ties to Marxist-Leninist ideology. J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI’s director, even referred to the BPP as “one of the greatest threats to the nation’s internal security.” The FBI weakened the party by undermining their social programs like the Free Breakfast Program and exploiting existing rivalries between various black nationalists groups across the country. By the 1980s, the BPP had officially dissolved.
The Black Panther Party’s Impacts
Today, much of the BPP’s actions are revered by many current activists fighting anti- Black sentiments and inequalities. Combating police brutality against African Americans was the party’s original incentive, and has inspired movements like Black Lives Matter to fight for the same cause. For years, Jersey City’s Black Lives Matter movement has organized, protested, and called for local changes that aim to foster a higher degree of racial equality. They continue to fight for concrete policy changes that will achieve long sought-after accountability for the city’s police department. Additionally, the BPP’s efforts in community-centered programs has paved the way for the rise of mutual aid - something that has become even more prevalent as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Jersey City, the Triangle Park Community Center and Jersey City Mutual Aid Society are examples of the ongoing volunteer-run efforts to provide aid to those in need. While much of the focus within the history of the civil rights movement has been placed on the teachings of figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X, the BPP’s influence is just as impactful for today’s activists.