Changes

==History==

==History==

The Party was organized in 1966 by two [[Oakland]] college students, [[Huey Percy Newton]] and [[Bobby Seale]], to fight  the [[United States]] government for being a "raciest [and] capitalists state". The group particularly criticized the United States economic structure, called for the government to change to a more [[communist]]ic economic structure. Contrary to [[civil rights]] activist [[Martin Luther King]], the Black Panther Party used speeches to call for violent action to settle [[civil rights]] disputes. After King's assassination in 1968, the group began to arm its members as well as provide [[military]] training. The Black Panthers marched into the [[California]] state capital fully armed, leading to the arrest of some group members.  Because many prominent Panther members had [[criminal]] records, the police began to confront the party's leadership. The confrontation led to the death of more then 29  police officers as well as Black Panther members.<ref>http://www.stanford.edu/group/blackpanthers/</ref> Bobby Steale, one of the founders, was arrested after the confrontation.  This raid had the effect of limiting the Black Panthers ability to function. The leaders of the now split apart  group looked for asylum. This led to airline hijackings in [[Cuba]], [[Algeria]] and [[North Korea]], where they requested political asylum.  

The Party was organized in 1966 by two [[Oakland]] college students, [[Huey Percy Newton]] and [[Bobby Seale]], to fight  the [[United States]] government for being a "raciest [and] capitalists state". The group particularly criticized the United States economic structure, called for the government to change to a more [[communist]]ic economic structure. Contrary to [[civil rights]] activist [[Martin Luther King]], the Black Panther Party used speeches to call for violent action to settle [[civil rights]] disputes. After King's assassination in 1968, the group began to arm its members as well as provide [[military]] training.

 

The Black Panthers marched into the [[California]] state capital fully armed, leading to the arrest of some group members.  Because many prominent Panther members had [[criminal]] records, the police began to confront the party's leadership. The confrontation led to the death of more then 29  police officers as well as Black Panther members.<ref>http://www.stanford.edu/group/blackpanthers/</ref> Bobby Steale, one of the founders, was arrested after the confrontation.  This raid had the effect of limiting the Black Panthers ability to function. The leaders of the now split apart  group looked for asylum. This led to airline hijackings in [[Cuba]], [[Algeria]] and [[North Korea]], where they requested political asylum.  

==Partnership==

==Partnership==

Two years after the Black Panthers founding, in 1998,  the organization consisted of 400 hundred members, mainly from the poor parts of Oakland. When [[Martin Luther King]] died the party grew to include five thousand members with over 45 chapters and branches. The organization also published a newspaper which by 1969, circulated to over 250,000 subscribers.  

Two years after the Black Panthers founding, in 1998,  the organization consisted of 400 hundred members, mainly from the poor parts of Oakland. When [[Martin Luther King]] died the party grew to include five thousand members with over 45 chapters and branches. The organization also published a newspaper which by 1969, circulated to over 250,000 subscribers.