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blackpanthersmovementandcare

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Black Panthers Movement and Care

It is well-known that the Black Panther Party's [BPP] rallying call was “serve the people, body and soul.” According to sociologist Alondra Nelson, the phrase was far more than a rhetorical flourish. In fact, Panther co-founder Bobby Seale made sure it was taken literally when, in the spring of 1970, he ordered all party chapters to create free breakfast programs for children and health centers to serve the medically needy.

It was a tall order, born of the belief that theory and practice need to work in tandem, with tangible benefits being given to under-resourced communities. The clinics were called People's Free Medical Centers [PFMC] and eventually were established in 13 cities across the country, from Cleveland to New Haven, Connecticut; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; and Los Angeles. One facility, in Portland, Oregon, offered dental as well as medical care; all relied on donated supplies and volunteer labor. Women, Nelson writes, were the backbone of the effort - not surprising, considering that approximately 60 percent of BPP members were female.

The ethos of the PFMCs was simple: “Your body belongs to the revolution, so you have to take care of it.” Reality, however, made this nearly impossible because most African-Americans were unable to access affordable, high-quality health care, thanks to racism and classism.

from:Black Panthers' Fight For Free Health Care

Militants / artists / practionners

Milford Graves

Not a panther himself, Milford Graves is a free jazz drummer and percussionist, music teacher, therapist, acupuncturist…

(see Milford Graves, holistic beat doctor )

Jalal Mansur Nuriddin

A devout Muslim, poet, acupuncturist, and martial art exponent (a practitioner of a form of Bak Mei), he was incarcerated and was given early release on condition that he join the US Army, where he trained as a paratrooper but was imprisoned again within the Army for refusing to salute the Flag. He is often dubbed “The Grandfather of Rap” (from Wikipedia)

Veronza Bowers Jr.

is an inmate at the Federal Correctional Facility in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a former member of the Black Panther Party incarcerated in federal prison for over 37 years making him one of the longest-held political prisoners in U.S. history.In the 37-plus years of his confinement, Veronza has become a “model “prisoner. He is an author, musician, a student of Asian healing arts and has a strong interest in Buddhist meditation as well as “hands-on” healing techniques which he practiced at the various facilities in which he was incarcerated. Veronza is also an honorary elder of the Lompoc Tribe of Five Feathers, a Native American spiritual and cultural group. He is a mentor and founder of the All-Faith Meditation Group, a non-denominational spiritual organization devoted to healing meditation using the traditional Japanese shakuhachi flute. (fromVeronza Bowers Jr.)

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blackpanthersmovementandcare.1430670393.txt.gz · Last modified: 2015/05/03 18:26 by 808