Photo by Rebecca Melton
Huey Newton (1942-1989) was an African-American political activist who co-founded the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense in 1966, at 24 years old. Throughout the 1960’s, Newton was a powerful and vocal leading figure for the Black Power movement. Newton had a troublesome childhood, and would start trouble in school due to his erratic home-life. However, Newton didn’t let his troubled childhood define him and started to put an emphasis on getting an education. Newton taught himself to read, and pursued his education at Merritt College. At Merritt, Newton met Bobby Seale and formed the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. Unlike most parties founded for black Americans at the time, the Black Panthers took on a more aggressive standpoint. The Black Panthers wanted to improve life in black communities and put a stop to police brutality, and the Black Panthers would frequently be clashing with police. Newton pursued his Ph.D. in social philosophy from the University of California. In 1989, at age 47, Newton was shot dead in California.