Person biography:
Huey P. Newton was born on February 17, 1942, in Monroe, Louisiana, and was named after Governor Huey P. Long. He grew up in Oakland, California, and attended Merritt College, earning an Associate of Arts degree. He also studied law at Oakland City College and San Francisco Law School.
Newton's involvement in radical politics began while at Oakland City College, where he joined the Afro-American Association and played a role in adopting the first black history course. He was heavily influenced by the works of Malcolm X, Che Guevara, and Mao Tse-tung.
In 1966, Newton co-founded the Black Panther Party for Self Defense with Bobby Seale. The party's initial goal was to stop police harassment of African-Americans in Oakland. Newton's study of the law allowed him to convince many African-Americans of their constitutional right to bear arms, and armed party members began patrolling the streets.
Newton was accused of murdering police officer John Frey and was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in 1968. However, his conviction was later reversed, and he was acquitted after two subsequent mistrials.
Despite his legal troubles, Newton continued to lead the Black Panther Party, focusing on community outreach programs and social services. The party's Free Breakfast for School Children Program, initiated in 1969, became a huge success, feeding over 10,000 children daily.
Newton's popularity and the party's success made them a target of the FBI's COINTELPRO program, aimed at disrupting and destroying the Black Panther Party. In 1971, Newton visited China, where he met with Premier Chou En-lai and Chiang Ch'ing, the wife of Chairman Mao Tse-tung.
Newton's later years were marked by legal troubles and personal struggles. He was accused of embezzling funds from a school run by the Black Panthers and was convicted in 1989. He was shot and killed during a drug deal gone bad on August 22, 1989, at the age of 47.
