1965

 

AUGUST 11-16th

 

The Watts rebellion.   On a red-hot August night in 1965, the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles exploded with racial frustration. Six days later, 34 people were dead, hundreds more injured and a wide swath of South-Central L.A. was scarred with burned-out buildings and looted stores.

 

Martin Luther King Jr. comes to calm the situation in Watts at a town hall meeting.  For the first time in his career he is booed by Black people.

 

 

1966

 

AUGUST

In Watts, the Negro Citizen Alert Patrol cruises South Central Los Angeles in Radio-equipped cars, monitoring police radio calls and observing police conduct.  Their vehicles are marked “To Protect and Serve. 

 

OCTOBER 15th

In Oakland CA Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale write the first draft of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense (BPP) 10 - Point Program.

 

In prison, inmates and ex-members of the Nation Of Islam– BUNCHY CARTER and ELDRIDGE CLEAVER, become close friends and decide that when they are released they will start a west coast chapter of the Organization of Afro-American Unity (the organization created by Malcolm X at the time of his murder).

 

1967

 

JUNE

The L.A.P.D. raid the Nation of Islam mosque.

 

BUNCHY CARTER is released from prison and goes to San Francisco to find that Eldridge has joined the Black Panthers. Bunchy has his doubts about Huey P. Newton’s leadership, referring to him as a "Poot But".

 

AUGUST 1st

J. Edgar Hoover directs its counterintelligence program (COINTELPRO) to “neutralize and destroy any attempts of a Messiah rising amongst them.”

 

OCTOBER 28th

In Oakland police officer John Frey is Killed and offier Hervert Haines wounded in an altercation after stopping Huey Newton and Gene McKinney.  Newton is also critically wounded.

 

After hearing of the arrest of Huey Newton for the attempted murder of a police officer, BUNCHY CARTER contacts his friend ELDRIGE CLEAVER and tells him he has changed his mind. Bunchy excepts the role of becoming the first Deputy Minister of Defense of the Black Panther Party For Self-Defense. His duty is to form and become leader of the Southern California Chapter Of The Black Panther Party For Self-Defense.

 

NOVEMBER 13th

In Oakland, the Alameda County grand jury indicts Huey Newton on charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and kidnapping.

 

BUNCHY CARTER starts holding meetings with a small group which become the nucleus of the Southern California Chapter of the Southern California Chapter. ROLAND and RONALD FREEMAN join. These early members take the Mau Mau Oath, an oath to the death that they will obey "or this oath shall kill them".

 

1968

 

JANUARY

The Southern California chapter of the BPP (which stretches from San Bernardino to San Diego) is organized finalized by BUNCHY CARTER – Deputy Minister of Defense.

 

FEBRUARY 17

A "Free Huey" rally is held at the Oakland Auditorium on Newton's birthday. More than 5,000 supporters attend to see guest speakers including Stokely Carmichael, H. Rap Brown, James Forman, Ron Dellums, and Peace and Freedom Party representatives.

 

FEBRUARY 18th

A “Free Huey” rally is held in Southern California at the Sports Arena.  The official announcement is made about the formation on the Southern California chapter.

 

FEBRUARY 24th

In Oakland BUNCHY CARTER along with David Hilliard, Anthony Coltrale, and Audrey Hudson are arrested and charged with carrying a concealed weapon.

 

RONALD FREEMAN gets in an argument with US members at the Offices of the Black Congress over his right to use the restroom while they are giving a self-defense class.

 

MARCH 

ARTHUR GLEN MORRIS, brother of Bunchy Carter, is shot and killed by "agents" of the U.S. government. He is the first member of the BPP to be killed.

 

US members shoot up RONALD FREEMAN’S house while his daughter and wife are present. Oakland Panther, Sherman Forte’ who is staying at RONALD’s house is shot in the hand.

 

ANTHONY COLTRALE is killed in Watts by a local police officer.

 

APRIL 4th

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is assassinated at the Lorraine Motel, Memphis, TN. Riots occur in major cities across the country. 

 

APRIL 5th

The L.A.P.D. raids the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) office while members attend a Martin Luther King, Jr., memorial service.      

 

APRIL 13

Funeral services for Bobby Hutton (killed on April 6th by Oakland police) held at Ephesians Church of God in Christ on Alcatraz Avenue in Berkeley. More than 2,500 attend the funeral.  Southern California Chapter Panthers from Los Angeles act as security. 

 

 

AUGUST 25th

Three Panthers -- Robert Lawrence, Steve Bartholomew, and Tommy Lewis are murdered by Los Angeles police at a service station. 

 

SEPTEMBER    

J. Edgar Hoover declares the BPP the "greatest threat to the internal security of the country". 

 

NOVEMBER 25th

FBI memo details plans to cause dissension between Los Angeles Panthers and United Slaves (US) under the leadership of Ron Karenga. 

 

DECEMBER 30th

Los Angeles Panther FRANK DIGGS is shot in the head and killed by police agents.

 

 

1969

 

JANUARY 17th

BUNCHY CARTER and Deputy Minister JOHN HUGGINS are assassinated in Campbell Hall on the UCLA campus, by US members.

 

Geronimo Pratt becomes Deputy Minister of the Southern California Chapter.

 

JANUARY 24th

Funeral services for ALPRENTICE “BUNCHY” CARTER at Trinity Baptist Church in Los Angeles.

 

MARCH

In Los Angeles, inflammatory letters instigated by the FBI are sent to Panthers from US members.

 

MARCH 14th

In Los Angeles following a student strike meeting at Victory Baptist Church, an altercation ensues in the parking lot between US members and Panthers. Panther Ronald Freeman is wounded in the chest and groin. Local police watch the fight from their vehicle parked across the street and do not intervene.

 

APRIL

The Los Angeles Panthers begin their Free Breakfast for Children program in honor of JOHN HUGGINGS.

 

MAY 23rd

San Diego Panther JOHN SAVAGE is murdered by US members. 

 

JUNE      

Los Angeles Panther DANIEL LYNEM is charged with murder. Charges are eventually dropped.

 

Los Angeles Panther WAYNE PHARR is charged with murder. Charges are eventually dropped.

 

JUNE 15

J. Edgar Hoover declares “...the Black Panther Party without question represents the greatest threat to the internal security of the United states.      

 

JUNE 23rd

In Los Angeles, GERONIMO PRATT and ROGER LEWIS are arrested on suspicion of murder. The charges are later dropped.

 

JUNE 30th

In Los Angeles, RONALD FREEMAN is arrested on suspicion of murder and possession of drugs. Charges are later dropped. 

 

JULY 8th

In Los Angeles, Panther WILLIE CALVIN is arrested for selling paper and for disorderly conduct.

 

JULY 26th

In San Diego, the John Savage Memorial FBCP moves ahead despite vandals who broke into the church and destroyed food.

 

AUGUST 15th

In San Diego Panther SYLVESTER BELL is shot and killed by US members. The FBCP is closed due to shootings. 

 

SEPTEMBER 2nd

San Diego police fire bullets and gas rockets into a Panther home for 45 minutes. People in the community throw bottles and rocks at police. Officers in turn kick down citizens' doors and beat the people. 

 

SEPTEMBER 8th

In Watts, armed police terrorize children on a raid of the Free Breakfast for Children Program

 

SEPTEMBER 11th

In San Diego Panthers GLORIA GREEN, PLEZ BOLDEN, DEBORAH DeROWEN, and GLORIA BOLTEN are arrested on armed robbery charges,  THeir case is later dismissed.

 

SEPTEMBER 12th

In Los Angeles, Panther NATHANIEL CLARK is murdered.

 

In San Diego, Panter GLORIA SHIELDS is arrested for selling BPP newspaper.

 

SEPTEMBER 20th

Ten San DIego Panther are arrested on suspicion of armed robbery; the charges are later dropped.

 

SEPTEMBER 26th

In Los Angeles, 6 Panthers are arrested for suspicion of burglary and stolen goods.  The charges are later dropped.

 

OCTOBER 18th

Panther WALTER “TOURE” POPE is murdered by Los Angeles metro squad in broad daylight as he drops BPP newspapers off at store. 

 

NOVEMBER 12th

In Los Angeles, a community meeting is in progress to finalize plans for the Bunchy Carter Free Health Clinic when 75 police raid the BPP office.  The doctors, nurses and other community leaders present shocked the officers who retreat.

 

DECEMBER 4th

In Chicago, Fred Hampton, and Mark Clark are viciously murdered by police while they sleep. 

 

DECEMBER 8th

Los Angeles police department launches a full- scale attack on Southern California Panthers in a predawn raid. At three separate locations, 400 officers arrest Party members. During the four hour shoot-out at the headquarters on 41st & Central Roland Freeman's body is riddled with bullets, but he survives. 

 

December 10

Los Angeles Local Union 535, Social Services Workers' Union, passes a resolution to protest the political murders of Panthers across the country and to demand the release of all political prisoners. 

 

Friends of Panthers, a coalition of community groups, holds a mass protest rally at City Hall to denounce the invasion of police officers into the black community.

 

DECEMBER 27th

In Los Angeles, the Bunchy Carter Free Health Clinic opens.

 

1970

 

MARCH 24th

Los ANgeles Panther ROGER “BLUE” LEWIS receives ten years in prison on charges stemming from the Panther roundup following the murders of BUNCHY CARTER and JOHN HUGGINS.

 

JULY 14th

J. Edgar Hoover makes the statement “...the Black Panther Party is the greatest threat to the national security in the history of this nation.”

 

1971

 

JANUARY 23rd

Huey Newton expels Los Angeles Panthers ELMER GERONIMO PRATT and his wife SANDRA PRATT as well as Panthers on trial in New York known as the “New York 21” for their criticism of him.

 

FEBRUARY

Huey Newton and Eldrige Cleaver disagree on San Francisco talk show.  Newton expels Cleaver and the entire wing of the International BPP for his criticism of the expulsion of Geronimo. The Southern California Chapter is eventually expelled.

 

JUNE

The Panthers involved in the shoot out at 41st and Central are found not guilty and set free.

 

1972

JUNE

In Los Angeles, Elmer “Geronimo” Pratt is convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison.