Backlash from Beyonce's Super Bowl performance continues
After hearing the backlash on Beyoncé's 2016 Super Bowl performance, I was very confused. Apparently the barrettes and uniforms the dancers wore during the performance, mimicked the uniforms of the black panther party. Allegedly Beyoncé was showing support for the black panther party and supporting today's equality and pro-black movement. Now I'm sure many viewers were appalled as were the racist politicians of the 60's and 70's when the black panthers stood up against black violence some 50 yrs ago. For those of you who don't know, I happen to be half African American and half German American. So you know I'm coming from an unbiased perspective. I've experienced racism from both sides and agree it's wrong regardless of who's doing it. Most of us now have no idea what the black panther party really stood for. The black panthers began to unite African Americans together to stand up against inequality. Yes, some of its members were violent, but other members were peaceful and many of there supporters were not even black. It wasn't until I watched 'The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution' did I realize the depths of what the black panthers really stood for. They stood for freedom, decent housing, equal education and anti-police brutality. These are all issues that they fought for and have somewhat gotten better over time, but do still exist today. That is why Beyoncé commemorated such a group. Because there is still inequality today that the people need to speak about and be aware of. The black panthers initially were about awareness and unity.
The negative connection of the black panthers party comes from the fbi spending millions of US dollars trying to defeat the black panthers. That eventually would work by them pinning the anti-violent side and the violent side of the party against one another. When they convinced the public through the media that the black panther party were American terrorists against the people, they now had the approval of the public to annihilate the black panthers by any means necessary. It is our job as millennials to make sure that America does not forget how monumental the black panthers were in the movement for equality. The movement even reached beyond the United States reaching many other countries like Vietnam. People supported the Panthers because they stood against oppression. They even hosted a free breakfast program to serve breakfast for underprivileged children in these communities. Many other countries who also faced racial, economic or religious oppression supported the voice the panthers were able to create.
All of the sudden the black panthers became the icons of America at the time. Young African American kids now had a whole new perspective on who they were and what they could become in this American society. Most of America's youth stood by what the Panther's stood for, regardless of their color. So why now, are people protesting against Beyoncé's support of the Black Panthers? Could it be because the American government found the black panthers a threat to the status quo at the time and were successful in tarnishing the black panther party as an American terrorist organization? I think Yes. The FBI has memos stating that they want to prevent the black panther leaders from becoming voices of the youth in the black community.
They threatened families, attempted to split relationships apart and hired informants to destroy the black panthers. They absolutely wanted this organization to be destroyed. So who do you choose to stand for? The FBI or the people? Me personally, I'm a man of the people. All people. Black, white, red, yellow, green,....whatever. Did the FBI succeed in taking away our pride and power as people or do you or someone you know still fight against similar inequality issues today?