Anne Moody and the Black Panthers

During the 1960s, many Black Americans drew attention to the inequalities among races in society. Protest groups formed and demonstrations highlighting discrimination towards dark people were a common practice for civil rights activists. Some activists believed non-violence was the only way to overcome, and others, such as Anne Moody and the Black Panthers, had a more aggressive attitude towards gaining freedom. In her autobiography, The Coming of Age in Mississippi, Anne Moody describes the hardships of growing up in the heavily racist South, and displays the “price you pay daily for being Black.” (p.361) She grows tired of seeing her Black companions beaten, raped, murdered, and denied their opportunity to prosper in the land of plenty: America. The Black Panthers’ assertive mindset was aimed to exemplify the injustices of a prejudiced society that denied Blacks the power to determine their own destiny. At a young age, Anne realizes that there is something that gives Whites privilege over Blacks. She thinks that there is a secret to why Blacks always have to watch a movie from the balcony while Whites watch from the floor. Both Anne Moody and the Black Panthers discover this secret, and use an assertive approach in their civil rights activism for social and political reform that would finally give Blacks the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that are granted to all Americans. The secret was racial discrimination.

The Black Panther Party, which was co-founded by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale in 1966, was a political party that pushed to overcome social oppression. After the assassination of Black activist Malcom X, the Panthers decided they had enough of seeing their race be denied the freedom they deserved. Members of the Black Panthers were tired of a society that continued to consider them “niggers.” They were tired of not having the chance to get out of poverty and live comfortably. They were tired of not getting a quality education that public schools in America should’ve been providing them. They were tired of being beaten, harassed, and unruly discriminated against by police solely because of the color of their skin. They wanted to live in the beautiful nation that America appeared to be for Whites. They wanted freedom and equality for African-Americans.

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...y for all Americans written in the constitution. Both believed that in order to put an end to the blatent racial discrimination that prevents Blacks from eating at certain restaurants or prevents them from attending a good school, they have to “take certain positive actions to work on the problems” the are faced with everyone because of their skin color. (p. 290) These actions can be food drives, clothing drives, voting, health care, providing protection and safety, or anything that gives African-Americans a better chance to finally be considered first-class citizens along with everyone else. They felt that they needed to be “professional agitators” in order to draw attention to the inequalities Blacks face day to day like not being able to use certain bus stations. During the 1960s, the Black Panthers and Anne Moody fought with all their hearts to gain the unalienable rights granted to them about 100 years prior. Anne fought so hard and dedicated her life so fully to finally be treated like an real American that she got sick. After recovering, Anne came back to fight some more. She knew, along with the Black Panthers, that “the power to change things was in themselves.” (p. 371)