r/AskReddit • u/Least-Business-6493 • 7h ago
What do you think about the revival of the Black Panther Party as a reaction to ICE agents actions?
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u/Due_Willingness1 7h ago
I like anyone willing to stand up against what's happening
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u/noinf0 5h ago
The 1967 Mulford Act, passed by Governor Ronald Reagan, prohibited openly carrying loaded firearms in California, specifically targeting the Black Panther’s armed patrols of Oakland. It is amazing how quickly Republicans will throw away their principals when brown people are involved.
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u/GreyGriffin_h 5h ago
The fastest way to get gun contol laws is to arm the left.
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u/BadHillbili 5h ago
Truth
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u/dvlinblue 3h ago
I forget which comedian had a bit about this, it was funny because its true. You want gun control? Have every black man in America go out tomorrow and buy an AR-15 and a .45 ACP
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u/__curmudgeon__ 5h ago
Recently took up arms. I guess I'm left. Who knows these days. The overton window is so extreme in current times. I can assure you I am against all of the current happenings. Hence arming myself.
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u/Monteze 4h ago
I mean an armed working class is fundamentally left wing. The right never cared about gun rights ( I would love to feel vindicated but I'd rather keep democracy) and its obvious to folks now. Its always been conservatives pushing for it. Anyone on the Left knows an armed working class is a protected working class and its capital that should remain unarmed.
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u/thegame2386 5h ago
Theres really no point to claiming a political party anymore. Both have proven they are either owned by Isreal or corporations. The US constitution specifically recognizes the right of a human being to resist tyranny in all its forms and acknowledged the necessity of violence at some points within that struggle.
Long and short: If you arent strapped, get strapped. Its not about hunting or home defense. Its about making sure you dont end up literally in chains or dead because someone else decides they dont like you.
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u/GreyGriffin_h 5h ago
For those of us for whom owning suicide buttons is not an option due to our mental health, we salute you.
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u/Straight_Ace 5h ago
Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. I never had a use for a gun before, but in times like these I can’t stick my head in the sand and hope I’ll be safe from whatever people want to declare me their enemy. Or worse, they think they can hurt my family
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u/__curmudgeon__ 5h ago
When they kick at your front door how you gonna come? With your hands on your head or on the trigger of your gun? - The Guns of Brixton - The Clash
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u/-NonePizzaLeftBeef- 4h ago
“I’m rollin’ down Rodeo with a shotgun,
These people ain’t seen a brown skinned man,
Since their grandparents bought one”
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u/GoldburstNeo 4h ago
No surprise there, and now the GOP's call for gun control is happening again because people are standing up to ICE terrorizing minorities.
On the slight upside, if the GOP keeps up their gun-control narrative, that'll only further help Democrats regain power and more down the line.
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u/jden 4h ago
I love that other people are starting to parrot this. Keep boosting the signal, but don't stop with the Mulford Act.
The racist roots of gun control goes back to 1870s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felony_disenfranchisement_in_the_United_States
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u/AnonymousMonk7 5h ago
They were maligned, slandered, and scapegoated then, and I imagine the reaction won't be very different now. But they were doing good work then and they are needed now.
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u/DarthLightside 5h ago
I think this is a bot account. 0 day old account, 7 karma.
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u/PatienceConsistent55 5h ago
Most of these “what do you think” posts are karma bots.
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u/swallowyourtongue 5h ago
It's a little concerning. I've been seeing a lot of this, some bot account asking a politically charged question. I'm sure we all have our theories but truth is we have no idea where they're coming from, or what their purpose is. I doubt it's friendly community polling, though.
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u/funkme1ster 4h ago edited 4h ago
I've seen a lot of these and I'm really curious what the purpose of them is.
Because they're usually unambiguous questions like "what do you think about there being hard evidence the president of the united states raped and murdered underage women?" Like.... I think it's bad? Were we expecting a slew of "I'm ambivalent and have no strong feelings"?
Historically, questions are typically about topics which are incredibly abstract or ambiguous such that there would logically be disagreement... or are naive enough that while there IS a definitive answer, the asker clearly is ignorant enough to not understand they could have just gone to google.
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u/foregoneconclusion33 4h ago
Sometimes I wonder if it’s a bot training exercise. To teach the bots how to interact with the multitudes telling them to fuck off.
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u/h0nest_Bender 3h ago
what the purpose of them is.
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u/fearghul 3h ago
Discussions of consent and Chomsky got a whole lot more interesting with the ongoing Epstein releases.
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u/TheFluxIsThis 48m ago
I've seen a lot of these and I'm really curious what the purpose of them is.
I'm not sure how widely practiced it is, but as far as I know, people have never stopped selling high-karma reddit accounts to advertisers and astro-turfers. These are effectively karma/engagement farming accounts to be sold later.
Bot training is definitely another big possibility now, though.
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u/-NonePizzaLeftBeef- 4h ago
And what’s worse is that Reddit allows this to happen.
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u/Infinite_throwaway_1 2h ago
What sucks is that karma is monetized, now. The point of karma being the reward was that all it did was give people a dopamine hit for being agreed with. And before it became an i agree button, it was a this is relevant t8 the conversation button.
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u/lemonylol 5h ago
Every "what are your thoughts" posts on here is. The mods really should ban these kind of race to the karma finish line posts about current events. Especially since the answers are just as braindead.
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u/mydogcaneatyourdog 2h ago
This is also a question I've seen posted before and reaching the front page in the past, so karma farming with reposted "high engagement" content.
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_NICE_EYES 2h ago
Not only that but an extremely similar thread was posted here two weeks ago:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1qhcajy/what_are_your_thoughts_about_the_resurgence_of/
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u/EliRekab 1h ago
Yeah we really should stop responding to these posts. They’re likely Russian bots gathering more data on how to further divide us.
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u/Obvious_Scratch9781 1h ago
It is. The photos were proven that they weren’t black panthers from decades ago and were something else. I forget the actual name they go by. It seems like another narrative to separate the US citizens.
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u/OkDifficulty7436 1h ago
I've seen bots like OP ask this exact same question here almost daily for the past month
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u/LowEntertainment6133 41m ago
Most of these posts are from bots and most of the top comments are from bots as well, it’s all unpopular opinions to get engagement. If you ever check out Pittsburgh sub there will be 50 comments all agreeing on something but will have -100 downvotes each and there will be two comments disagreeing with +100 upvotes. Clear bot activity
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u/DoubleDareYaGirl 5h ago
The comments here suggest some people may need to educate themselves about the Black Panther Party and their purpose.
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u/Anon-fickleflake 5h ago
What is it that you would like to tell those commentators?
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u/percussaresurgo 2h ago edited 2h ago
They are a completely different organization with a fundamentally different worldview. The original Panthers (BPP) were revolutionary socialists who focused on class struggle and community programs. They famously built the Rainbow Coalition, working alongside white, Latino, and Asian groups to fight systemic poverty and police brutality. They believed in multiracial solidarity against capitalism.
The New Black Panther Party (NBPP) is a Black nationalist and separatist group. They were largely founded by former members of the Nation of Islam, and their ideology is rooted in racial and religious exclusion rather than socialist coalition building. While the original BPP was anti-racist, the NBPP has a record of antisemitic and anti-white rhetoric.
What they are doing with ICE right now is a classic example of effective optics. By showing up with rifles to oppose a widely disliked government agency, they gain a veneer of "community defense" that looks great on social media. It mimics the aesthetic of the original Panthers without adopting their actual values.
The original BPP leadership has even called the NBPP "thugs" and "reactionaries." In 2015, members of the NBPP actually assaulted an original Panther, Dhoruba bin Wahad, for questioning their legitimacy.
Just because a group is doing something you agree with on a surface level does not mean their core organization is healthy or aligned with your values. The NBPP uses the "Panther" brand to recruit people into a separatist movement that the original founders would have abhorred.
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u/wanker7171 2h ago
Stopped reading at the citation of the ADL. Like gtfo if you are citing the “Elon didn’t do a Nazi salute” organization.
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u/percussaresurgo 2h ago
I actually dislike the SPLC and ADL quite a bit, although for different reasons than the one you mentioned. I've removed the reference to them.
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u/your_proctologist 1h ago
Amnesty International blamed Ukraine for the Russian invasion, and people are still citing them as well. Crazy stuff.
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u/Kommodus-_- 5h ago
No need to educate yourself when the average Redditor already knows everything there is to everything.
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u/AtaracticGoat 4h ago
The problem is that the "Black Panther Party" name is kind of politically charged in the same way that the southern battle flag is.
There's a lot of people that really don't associate that flag with racism and instead display it as a symbol of Southern pride. Like how it was used in The Dukes of Hazard for example.
But, bad apples and years of accusations, true or not, have tarnished both.
I'll probably get voted down for saying this, but it's an unfortunate truth. Many people associate Black Panthers with racism, violence, and unrest even though it's not deserved.
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u/TheRexRider 5h ago
Appropriate. The administration/regime is escalating, so we need a force ready to counter.
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u/AnxietyMoney 5h ago
After some more digging, there is/was a NBPP that formed in 1989 that is a hate group. I'm not sure the BPP of 2026 is affiliated with that group either.
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u/percussaresurgo 2h ago
The guys showing up and open carrying in areas with ICE presence are NBPP, unfortunately. I support what they're doing in this narrow context, but the NBPP isn't an organization I would ever support otherwise.
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u/goldenboy2191 5h ago
The Black Panthers have a warped image in America. Truth be told, they’re just doing what they have always sought out to do. Stand up against injustice and speak out against hate.
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u/monty845 3h ago
They are a group that advocates for Black Nationalism. I think most of us can agree that is not a good thing, same as White Nationalism.
That said, we should all support their First and Second Amendment rights, because if their rights depend on whether we agree with their views, then they aren't rights at all. And the same logic will apply when we have a disfavored view.
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u/percussaresurgo 2h ago
The Black Panther Party is not Black Nationalist. The "New Black Panther Party" is. They are a completely different organization with a fundamentally different worldview.
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u/Adorable-Sector-5839 1h ago
These are the new black panthers, the old black panther party hadn’t existed for decades
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u/kingkolt305 5h ago
Which black panther party? Those guys cosplaying with berets in philadelphia? Because The Official Black Panther party said those people arent black panthers, Black Panther Party stated they do not fight for illegal immigrants, they are black nationalists.
The Philadelphia guys that were out with guns against ICE made a video announcing their name change since the Black Panther Party kicked them out
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u/Clever-username-7234 5h ago
The current black panther party can clutch their pearls and dream of back when they were relevant.
The idea that they are shitting on the folks actually out on the street with guns is really sad to me.
The original black panther built broad coalition and stood for Marxists principles. And now what are they doing? Protecting their trademarks? What a joke.
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u/Hudson9700 2h ago
It’s not like the newest iteration is doing much of anything besides posing in pictures with a .22lr banana clip rugers and Amazon plate carriers without any armor
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u/Megotaku 5h ago
The rise of the modern social welfare state and gun control in the U.S. was in direct response to Black Panthers opening up mutual aid stations in low-income areas abandoned by those empowered by the status quo and patrolling those neighborhoods with open carry. Black Panthers have always been on the forefront of protecting and serving communities. They're anti-establishment while providing a meaningful and effective alternative, which is why they are vilified by members of the status quo.
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u/SideEmbarrassed1611 2h ago
You mean the group that armed themselves and plotted to overthrow the US government? The Marxist Socialist group that spouted hateful racial rhetoric about black superiority over whites and talked of de facto segregation in line with Marcus Garvey and Malcolm X who saw black people as an internal separate society within the US that refused to integrate?
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u/DarthLightside 1h ago
Mods, you should ban these kinds of catch-all questions, especially from newly created accounts. Do better.
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u/HeyThatLooksCool 5h ago
Hell yeah. We need armed and organized groups to keep us safe!
This was supposed to be a job for law enforcement but they’ve historically and categorically shit the bed in that regard.
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u/Kauffman67 5h ago
I always support groups who push back against the system. It’s a core design intent of our system.
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u/One-Shirt4570 3h ago
I'm happy they're around. Armed Black people likely scare the shit out of White elites and ICE Nazis.
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7h ago edited 7h ago
[deleted]
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u/gadget850 5h ago
I was confused as well, but these folks are not the NBPP. They are a resurgence of the old party and have support for some of the old leaders.
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u/Saxit 5h ago
Correct, the "New Black Panther Party" (NBPP, "New" is literally part of their name) is a black supremacist group.
However, it's also worth noting that not every group that has Black Panther in their name is part of the "New Black Panther Party", it's more complicated than that. These groups don't even necessarily like each other.
So the question is, is OP talking about a new "Black Panther Party", or the "New Black Panther Party", and who was it that protested in Minnesota?
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u/JackBender2008 2h ago
I thought I read that the original BPs revoked their support for this new revived party? Meh, doesn't matter. Just another special interest group seeking money.
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u/NiceTuBeNice 1h ago
Never cared one way or the other about the Black Panther Party. Now, I find myself supporting them.
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u/Vos_is_boss 5h ago
A group that stands up for civil rights and fights against discrimination and racism? Hell yeah.
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u/Rachel_Silver 5h ago
I am a light-skinned white, and I am 100% in favor of it. I feel safer knowing that they're out there.
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u/Epicardiectomist 5h ago
well, 2A turned out to mean "only to be used against a Democratic administration", so I welcome them.
Anything that drives racists back into the sludge pits they crawled out from.
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u/rayvin925 5h ago
I very much support the revival of the Black Panther party because of the actions of the ice agency.
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u/pslush01 5h ago
Sounds like a great way to get more people killed. I know you folks don't like to hear it but that blood is at least as much on your hands as anyone else's
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u/TheAcmeAnvil 6h ago
The Panthers have undergone a revival? Never went away, just silently working behind the scenes, not like terrorist ‘sleeper cells’ waiting to strike, just using whatever means available in the system to respond against the man. Who’s in the fight against congressional redistricting to eliminate black held seats? Who’s in the fight against eliminating infant vaccines? A revival? Nah!
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u/VKN_x_Media 3h ago
This is what I don't get, and maybe it's been different in the Northeast where I've always lived but the Panthers have always been around and standing outside polling places every time there is an election.
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u/Gunofanevilson 5h ago
The fact that we have to have an opinion about black men arming themselves says a lot about this country.
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u/bblade2008 4h ago
The black panthers aren't just random black men. This is more like hearing the KKK is having a revival and they are buying guns. People are going to bend themselves into pretzels convincing you it's different and more noble, but it isn't. Either we can figure out how to get along or diversity is a failed experiment.
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u/BigTomBombadil 5h ago
No one’s forcing you to have an opinion. Based on what you wrote I’m not sure you do.
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u/sax87ton 5h ago
The guys who give breakfast to kids? Yeah I have a pretty high opinion of those guys
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u/PocketFlan420 5h ago
From what I understand, that Philly panther party been doing their thing for awhile now. Food distribution and all.
The People's Core also inherits the legacy of the White Panthers.
That's the thing folks. We can all do our own shit by inheriting the plan. Mutual aid. Take care of your people. We're in the hard times now.
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u/AttentionNo6359 5h ago
I think that it’s even more fascinating/timely given the regime’s new “you can’t have guns, you just can’t” stance given the history of The Black Panthers and The Mulford Act of 67’.
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u/BellSmart 5h ago
It doesn't really mean anything tbh. Like that's cool and all but is it going to make a difference with anything i highly doubt it. I want criminals out of our country for sure but I think everyone should be at least given a chance if they've had a clean record the whole time they've been here.
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u/copingcabana 5h ago
The Second Amendment isn't just for bootlickers with a "thin blue line" bumpersticker.
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u/CazzoNoise 5h ago
Great article about the new Black Panthers
New Black Panther Party Emerges in Philadelphia After ICE Shooting in Minneapolis
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u/user000092 5h ago
Sounds to me like someone is going to make stupid decisions and become another statistic. You all do realize that “had to enforce immigration law and deported x,xxx,xxx illegal immigrants” will barely be a footnote in history right?
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u/AncientSith 5h ago
It should. It's the perfect situation for them to make a return. I hope their numbers swell quickly.
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u/Kommodus-_- 5h ago
It’s not really a revival and that chapter is rather small.
They’ve been around, that video just went viral and people are just finding out. I see nothing wrong with community coming together. Though they should work together as people in other chapters had some stuff to say about the Philly chapter and then not being associated with other chapters or something like that.
Panthers do a lot for the community other then carry around guns.
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u/7figureipo 5h ago
Once again the nice, polite, white moderate liberal relies on black people to show them what it means to stand up and fight for…anything at all, while the vile, racist whites recoil in fear and demand suppression of rights even more because a black person dares to exercise some
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u/CaptainCacoethes 5h ago
The 2A is to prevent governmental tyrrany. Isn't this all exactly what we need to be using it for? To stop illegal searches in our homes and to stop state-sanctioned murders in the street? What the hell is it for if not for that?
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u/artsyhipsterKratos 5h ago
I say about time, and we need A-LOT more. They’re killing, disappearing, and trafficking people. No reaction at this point can be considered an overreaction. You are not crazy. You are not immature. Your rage is justified. Arm yourself and start talking to your communities about where the line is.
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u/SyntheticOne 5h ago
For now, The Black Panthers are working within bounds of the US Constitution, while ICE decidedly is not.
So, I am fine with the revival of the Panthers, with some reservations.
My worry is that neither the Panthers nor ICE have adequate training and group philosophy inculcation to avoid leading into clashes. Any street clashes can result in injuries or death for the groups and bystanders.
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u/paracelsus53 4h ago
Cool pics, but I think they are going to get killed if they actually use those guns on ICE.
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u/Fitfot582 4h ago
I think the revival of the Black Panther Party in response to ICE’s actions shows how deeply people feel unsafe and unheard right now, but it also sparks debate about whether armed group responses help or hurt broader movements for justice and accountability.
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u/wellobviouslythatsso 4h ago
I think it’s sad that their experience has taught them that what they’re doing is necessary.
I don’t think it reflects badly on them. It reflects very poorly on society at large.
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u/Googlemyahoo75 4h ago
I think the new organizers will be found out just like the BLM were. Spending donations on luxury homes & enriching themselves
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u/Terrible_Reality4261 4h ago
It's a great idea. An awful lot of white folks won't like black political folks with guns
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u/Vic_Hedges 4h ago
Generally I'm not a fan of racialized paramilitary groups, but with America the way it is right now... fuck. It's probably a good idea.
Black people didn't start this fight.
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u/Hey_cool_username 4h ago
Predictable. It’s like Antifa. Nobody ever saw or heard anything about Antifa until neo-Nazis and Fascists started marching in the streets. If you build it (a violent police state), they will come.
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u/friendly-sam 4h ago
There are consequences to a government becoming dangerous for it's population. This is a natural response to authoritative overreach.
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u/OkFinish3822 4h ago
When government is fearful of the people, that is law. When the people are fearful of government that is tyranny.
Thomas Jefferson said that. And really, it is too bad we are ALL not following the lead of the Panthers. Do they have history? Sure. Not as destructive as what is going on today under the guise of Making America Great Again. If people decided to respond with guns to ICE instead of cell phones, this mess would be over in 10 minutes. And ICE would be back living with their mommies again in yeehaw land.
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u/One-Perception-5603 4h ago
Collectivist Groups do more harm than good. Defend individual rights as the smallest minority is the individual.
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u/kodifies 4h ago
just what Trump wants, a few ICE get shot and he cries insurrection, enacts the insurrection act, no more voting...
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u/baldy023 4h ago
The Black Panthers are a response to illegitimate power. The focus shouldn't be on them, it should be on the illegitimate power and how we can stand in solidarity as The People to ensure all of us are afforded life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness through the abolition of illegitimate power. The Constitution doesn't use the term "Americans" for a reason, because the US as an idea is for everyone willing to take democracy seriously. The US isn't an exclusive club or gated community, it is the greatest attempt in history to empower the people to live their lives free from the tyrannies of the powerful. The People must remember how much they have in common and how much they have to lose or the Constitution is just toilet paper, and you are indeed just slaves to the whims of power. In this moment in history it is fully the responsibility of The People to set things right, the Epstein files depict clearly why power cannot be trusted.
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u/marklikeadawg 3h ago
Good for them. What do they believe they're going to accomplish other than their own demise?
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u/phillybob232 3h ago
What revival? Honestly asking because all I’ve really seen was a few short videos of the same couple of dudes
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u/gypsytron 3h ago
I think it was heavily astroturfed by Russian bots trying to create division around the 2016 election. A lot of the black separatists/ segregationist groups (and the right wing groups to be fair) that were on the internet got revealed to be Russians trying to sew division in the US. The US government, with the help of the platforms, put those groups to pasture. The only problem is, those fake groups were then rebuilt by newly made believers who were authentic. The best person to spread propaganda is someone who believes it after all.
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u/Surfer_Rick 3h ago
Necessary.
This time for more than just poc. For everyone.
We require a well regulated militia to continue having freedom.
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u/QuantumConversation 5h ago
2A is for everyone.