White Panther Party
The White Panther Party (WPP) was a radical left , anti-racist political movement founded in 1968 in Ann Arbor by u. a. John Sinclair and Leni Sinclair was founded. The reason for the formation of the group was an interview with Huey P. Newton of the Black Panther Party , in which he replied to the question of how whites could support the Black Panthers "by founding a White Panther Party".
Established in Michigan
The group originated in Detroit and Ann Arbor , where the Sinclairs managed the protopunk group MC5 . The roots were the Detroit Artists Workshop, an association of politically radical artists at Wayne State University . A major concern in the beginning was the legalization of marijuana . In connection with the race unrest in Detroit in 1967 there were further political demands.
In 1968, Sinclair and WPP co-founder Pam Plamondon were charged with bombing a CIA office in Ann Arbor. Sinclair was subsequently sentenced to nine and a half years in prison for possession of marijuana, while Plamondon fled abroad for the time being, but returned to the United States and was also arrested. Sinclair was released in 1971 after u. a. John Lennon , Yoko Ono , Bob Seger and Stevie Wonder had performed at a concert for his release at the University of Michigan's Crisler Arena .
Elsewhere in the US
White Panther Party groups also sprang up in Portland , San Francisco, and Berkeley . The latter were active until around 1980.
The program of the White Panther Party
In November 1968 the "White Panther State / meant" was published, a manifesto in which the main goals of the group were formulated, namely:
- Full support of the Black Panther Party's 10-point program
- A frontal attack on the prevailing culture by any means necessary, be it rock and roll, drugs or public banging
- The unpaid exchange of energy and raw materials - we demand an end to the money economy!
- Free food, clothing, shelter, drugs, music, body, medical care - everything should be free for everyone!
- Free access to media - technology has to be free from nasty foundry gullies!
- Free time & space for all people - tear down all unnatural boundaries!
- The liberation of all schools and other buildings from the grip of commerce - give the buildings to the people - immediately!
- Release of all prisoners, no matter where - they are our brothers!
- Immediate liberation of all soldiers - end of conscription!
- Liberate people from their leaders - leaders are shit - all power to people - freedom means everyone is free!
Aftermath
The soul punk band Tokyo Sex Destruction from Barcelona represents content critical of racism, capitalism and globalization. The four musicians are staunch supporters of the White Panther Party . Angela and John Sinclair, for their part, produced some of the Catalan band's tracks.
literature
- Bentley Historical Library: The John and Leni Sinclair Papers, 1957-1999 at the Bentley Historical Library
- “Our fight was worth it”, Interview with Leni Sinclair, taz, January 6, 2014
- Will Stewart: White Panther Party coming home to Ann Arbor, 40 years after bringing John Lennon to town in aid of John Sinclair, in: The Ann Arbor News , December 1, 2011
- Chelsie Noble: Leni Sinclair & Lessons from the 60s / 70s Era ( Open Access ) , Honors Theses. Paper 2432. Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 2014
- Leslie Denise Brody: The Red Suitcase: Hippies, Pinkos and Vagabonds , University of Connecticut doctoral dissertation, 1998 abstract
Individual evidence
- ↑ Christopher Zbrozek: The bombing of the A2 CIA office, in: The Michigan Daily , October 24, 2006
- ↑ Will Stewart: White Panther Party coming home to Ann Arbor, 40 years after bringing John Lennon to town in aid of John Sinclair, in: The Ann Arbor News , December 1, 2011
- ^ The June 1980 Election - Rent Control on the Brink of Extinction or Expansion
- ^ Black Panther Party 10-point Program, Ann Arbor Sun , Nov. 1968
- ^ Soul punk. Revolution with tambourine , in: Süddeutsche Zeitung , August 11, 2005