Unlike Martin Luther King who supported only nonviolent methods of the struggle, the Black Panthers asserted the idea of armed resistance. Their program is dedicated only to the resolution of the Black community problems, whereas King considered social issues much more widely, including the equal rights and social protection for all races without exception. The Ten-point program is an example of the Left-wing radical ideology as it finds the reason of the Black community distress in the capitalist system. At the same time, besides the expansion of the rights of Black citizens, there is a demand of reduction of their obligations, first of all, it is question of service in army. In general, this program is obviously aimed not at the integration of the Black people into the American society, but at their encapsulating into a special group, with equal rights but smaller quantity of duties.
The Ten-point program argues that White political and economic elite is racist by definition and it is interested in the oppression of the Black people. In this regard, the program supposes the creation of self-defense groups, which would protect the Afro-Americans from police abuse, and also supposes the expropriation of means of production from White businessmen in favor of communities. However in general, the program does not emphasize the necessity of creation of own institutes, but the necessity to respect existing laws, first of all, the Constitution. According to the program, the government, which is openly called racist, must participate in the resolution of the social problems of the Black community.
The most constructive question during the analysis of the Black Panthers program is why it was so attractive for Afro-American people? First of all, their social standing, certainly, was very difficult. Obviously, the cause of this is that there was a long period of the discrimination policy by the American authorities. In conditions when these questions finally became the problem of all society, there is a temptation to give the simple answer to a difficult question. For reactionaries from the South, the violent preservation of old scheme of life was such an answer. For the Black panthers, the violence against the oppressing system was the answer. Probably, because of such dangerous extremes, Martin Luther King, who did everything for reconciliation of people, is a truly great person.
Sources:
Joseph, Peniel E. Waiting 'til the Midnight Hour: A Narrative History of Black Power in America. New York: Henry Holt, 2006. Print.
