
By Kaillie Winston
Transcript CorrespondentĀ
Former Black Panther Charlotte OāNeal came to Ohio Wesleyan University to convey a message of self-determination and community control through her music and poetry.
In 1966, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale established the Black Panther Party (BPP) in Oakland, California. The group defended minority groups from economic, social, and political inequality in America. BPP members aimed to raise equality by organizing committees and programs such as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in 1967 and the Pantherās Free Breakfast for School Children Program in 1969.
The Black Panther Party deteriorated by 1980, but OāNeal still feels strongly about the values they stood for: peace and justice.
OāNeal, who refers to herself as āMama Charlotte,ā explained to a room of OWU students and faculty that the party primarily supported self-determination and community control in inner cities. If students learn to work together and set goals in the classroom, OāNeal said, they could prosper greatly.
āMama Charlotte has many inspiring stories to tell about her journey and it is a great honor to have her at our school,ā senior Taylor Rivkin said.
Additionally, OāNeal is a well-renowned musician and poet from Kansas City. During her time as a Black Panther, OāNeal wrote numerous poems about the struggles of minority oppression, protests, and peace for all. OāNeal continues to share her ideas today through artistic media.
OāNeal became interested in the BPP in the late 1960ās when she first saw founder and chairman Pete OāNeal speaking out about minority rights on television. She became an official member in the late 1969, after learning about the Pantherās Free Breakfast for School Children Program.
āWhen I discovered the Breakfast for School Children Program, it was over,ā she said. āI signed on the dotted line.ā
In this program, the BPP installed kitchens throughout America and fed more than 10,000 children each day before school.
The organization remained strong and started liberation movements with many other countries. For example, the United African Alliance Community Center (UAACC), a Panther effort, aimed to help develop well-rounded communities in Tanzania.
OāNeal said many people wrongly assume that the BPP was a black supremacist organization.
āMany people read negative things about the Black Panther Party,ā she said, āThe black supremacist groups actually disliked us because we worked with everyone.ā
āMama Charlotteā and her husband Pete OāNeal moved to Tanzania in 1971, where they began UAACC in order to spread Black Panther ideals through school systems.
Just five years ago, Mr. and Mrs. OāNeal founded a childrenās home in Tanzania, aimed at providing a loving and nurturing environment for orphans. Charlotte OāNeal focuses on artistic involvement and hopes that a proper education will help these children to go far in todayās world.
āIf we can spread love and peace, the world will learn to tolerate one another, regardless of gender or race,ā she said. āThatās all that matters.ā