Black Panther – 10 Point Program

Creator

The Black Panther Party originally formed in 1966 in California to monitor the behaviour of members of the Oakland Police Department because of suspicions of police brutality in the area.

They evolved into a revolutionary political party with a strong presence during the period of Civil Rights disputes, mostly in the United States.

Black Panther Party logo - Ten Point Program

Purpose

The Ten-Point Program, officially known as The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was outline the ideals and aspirations of the Black Panther Party. It’s a combination of a Bill of Rights and a Declaration of Independence.

Manifesto

The 10 Point Program has two parts that both have 10 points: What we want now and What we believe

Here are the first three examples from each of these sections. For a full description visit Wikipedia here.

What we want now

  1. We want freedom. We want power to determine the destiny of our Black Community.
  2. We want full employment for our people.
  3. We want an end to the robbery by the white men of our Black Community. (later changed to “we want an end to the robbery by the capitalists of our black and oppressed communities.”)

What we believe

  1. We believe that Black People will not be free until we are able to determine our own destiny.
  2. We believe that the federal government is responsible and obligated to give every man employment or a guaranteed income. We believe that if the White American business men will not give full employment, the means of production should be taken from the businessmen and placed in the community so that the people of the community can organize and employ all of its people and give a high standard of living.
  3. We believe that this racist government has robbed us and now we are demanding the overdue debt of forty acres and two mules. Forty acres and two mules was promised 100 years ago as redistribution for slave labor and mass murder of Black people. We will accept the payment in currency which will be distributed to our many communities: the Germans are now aiding the Jews in Israel for genocide of the Jewish people. The Germans murdered 6,000,000 Jews. The American racist has taken part in the slaughter of over 50,000,000 Black people; therefore, we feel that this is a modest demand that we make.

Source

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Panther_Party

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten-Point_Program

Prompted from watching the movie The Hate U Give

Comment

The two parts of the Black Panther 10 Point Plan showcase two important parts of a manifesto, one of which is usually included in the typical vision and mission statements and the other is usually missing.

The first part ‘What we want now’ is the usual fare. It includes specific and concrete outcomes. Most businesses focus exclusively here.

The second part ‘What we believe’ is often included in social manifestos but not corporate or business visions.

I believe (yes, I’m using my own framework) that most corporates focus on earning maximum revenue for shareholders. That’s their true reason for existing.

I don’t have a problem with that as an objective. What I do have concerns about is that this is not publicly stated.

The challenge here is not the goal; it’s the engagement of the people that are employed to achieve these goals.

There is a lot of research that suggests that the vast majority – anywhere from 60-80% of employees – are disengaged from their work.

In my opinion, this has less to do with the actual work and more to do with the context they are operating within – the meaning or the beliefs of why they are doing what they are doing.

There is an old story of three men working on a construction site. One is stacking bricks; another is building a wall and the third is building a cathedral to celebrate God. While they may all be doing the same work, which one is more likely to be inspired by what they do?

The Black Panther 10 Point Program provides for both the ‘physical and the philosophical’ needs of it’s followers. If you want to inspire your people in your workforce you might want to consider both sides of this equation too.

More

Related: The Hate U Give – The Black Power 10 Point Program is mentioned several times in this movie

Related: The full Black Power 10 Point Program makes reference to the US Declaration of Independence

Related: Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech

The Hate U Give

Creator

The Hate U Give is a 2018 film directed by George Tillman Jr with a screenplay by Audrey Wells.

The film is based on the 2017 debut novel of Angie Thomas – which has the same name.

Purpose

Thomas was writing was intended to “expand readers’ understanding of the Black Lives Matter movement as well as difficulties faced by black Americans who are forced to code switch.” (Wikipedia)

Manifesto

Trailer Video

Source

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hate_U_Give_(film)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hate_U_Give

Comment

Manifestos can come in many forms. This is an example of a worldview that is expressed as both a book and a film – it’s showcasing how the world may be for some black people in the US.

From a manifesto viewpoint, it presents a call to action hinted at by the title – It’s ‘the hate you give’.

This is most evident in the final scenes of the movie where:

  • The lead character Starr addresses a face-off between rioters and police; and
  • As her family ‘rebuilds’ after the arrest of a lead character and the suggestion that anything can be achieved when a community comes together.

More

Related: The Black Panther 10 Point Program is mentioned several times in this movie.

Related: Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech

Martin Luther King: I Have a Dream

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUP_ISA030c

Creator: Martin Luther King, Speech made 28th of August 1963, Lincoln Memorial Washington DC.
Purpose: Call for racial equality and an end to discrimination.

Manifesto

Here’s some key excerpts from his speech:

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’”
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.”
“With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.”
“Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.”

Sources

General Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Have_a_Dream
Full speech transcript: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm
Complete Speech Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk

Comment

MLK’s I Have a Dream speech is, in my view, the best example of a worldview manifesto for two significant reasons.

Firstly, it clearly presents a world the author wants to see – a dream. While it’s stated in the personal ‘I’ it’s very inclusive in its words.

Secondly, it’s so vivid and precise in it’s details. For instance, “to sit down together at a table of brotherhood” is both literal (sit down together) and metaphorical (at a table of brotherhood).

Related Manifestos