A History of Activism
Bobby's work sparked the movement that made "mutual aid" mainstream. Taking the idea of food, health, and legal programs from "radical' to community norms. He created curriculum and rights literacy pushing "Know Your Rights" education that became a standard tactic for organizers. The visibility of breakfast programs and clinics, pressured cities and the federal government to expand services.
Impactful Moments
1966
(Oct 15)
Bobby Seale founds the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense; crafts the Ten-Point Program
1967
Began armed patrols monitoring police conduct; distributed law books to citizens. Birth of "Know Your Rights" training.
1968
Black Panther Newspaper became A weekly publication created to spread political education.
1968
A Daily meal program in Oakland church basements was started. Fed 20k Children by 1971.
1969
Seale's gagging order in court broadcast the criminalization of Black activism to millions. 200k new supporters joined or donated after trial coverage.
1978-2010
Seale publishes Seize the Time, Power to the People; And starts to give lectures on organizing.
1971
Expansion & international solidarity sparked chapters in the UK, Israel, and Algiers; alliances with liberation movements.
1970
People's Free Clinics were the first community-run health centers offering sickle-cell testing, ambulance service, basic care.
1973
Seale runs for Mayor of Oakland and forces a runoff with 43% of the vote.
2025
Bobby Seale Way Renaming. Oakland dedicates 57th Street at MLK to the child who became a global teacher.
– Black Panther Party slogan
"All Power
to the People."
We don't need permission
to make change.
Why Bobby Seale Still Matters
We Honor the Revolutionary, & Maintain the Revolution
Bobby Seale didn’t build a movement to glorify an ideology — he built one to feed people, teach people, and protect people.
The Black Panther Party was not a call to abstract socialism or militant symbolism. It was a call to community competence; the belief that neighbors can care for one another when institutions fail, and that self-determination begins at the street level.
To honor Bobby Seale today means more than unveiling a street sign. It means renewing a covenant: that justice, nourishment, and education are not favors from power — they are the measure of a people’s maturity.
44
Black Panther Party Chapters by 1971
19 cities
Free Breakfast Program by 1971
14 clinics
Community Health Clinics
400k/wkly
Publications (BP Newspaper)
5k active
Volunteers Members/Staff
What Must
Be Maintained
Education as Armor
The Panthers taught law and civics to every member so no one could be bullied by ignorance or fear. Today, this means financial literacy, media literacy, and digital literacy.
To maintain the revolution, we must keep education free, truthful, and fearless; not propaganda, not privatized privilege, but usable knowledge that strengthens our civic muscles.
Health as a Right, Not a Reward
Panther clinics were radical because they treated the poor as worth saving. Maintaining that spirit means demanding health systems that heal instead of profit from illness; community clinics, trauma support, mental health access, reproductive care, and nutrition education.
Health is how society shows it values its citizens beyond their productivity.
Food and Dignity
Free breakfast programs fed the body and the spirit.
Maintaining that work means tackling food insecurity as a civic emergency, not charity work.
Every pantry, fridge, or co-op is a revolutionary act when it restores agency to the hungry.
Collective Safety
The Panthers’ patrols weren’t vengeance — they were visibility.
To maintain that ethos today means transparent policing, restorative justice, and public safety built on community trust instead of fear.
Economic Self-Determination
Bobby Seale believed people could own their labor and their neighborhoods. That’s not anti-capitalist; that’s anti-exploitation.
We keep the revolution alive when ownership expands — through co-ops, small businesses, social enterprises, and creative economies that reinvest in the block that built them.
Work To Do:
Maintaining the Legacy
[1]
Fragmented Local Initiatives
There is a lot of competing for funding and attention. We'd like to suggest creating a shared data dashboard and calendar which will give the movement coalition power.
[2]
Activism Fatigue
Campaign cycles are getting shorter and mostly online. We'd suggest rotating digital volunteer teams and use micro-content to educate. Keep flooding the system with real information.
[3]
Economic Inequality
The inequality gap has only been getting worse since COVID. We'd like to suggest investing in co-ops and community-owned food and health ventures
[4]
Misinformation
Historically narratives are being distorted. We need our own living capsule to hold our testimonies of the what the people are experiencing.
Last But Not Least: Fun Moments
Behind-the-scenes at our viral challenge shoot
Our amazing teams celebrating the successful app launch
So.Far & YouR team at the Beauty Tech ֿ Awards (We won!)
We're Not Playing Around When It Comes to Birthdays
Candid moments from our joint product development workshops