Editor's note: Opinion columns printed in the Indiana Daily Student are the views of one columnist and do not represent the Editorial Board, the staff or the University. We welcome columns of every viewpoint. Our intention in printing this or any column is not to injure but to foster a conversation.
We’ve received considerable feedback that readers are interpreting this column as hurtful. We understand readers are offended by this column, particularly those who are members of IU’s black community. We hear your concerns and are striving to be responsive. We welcome your input, including your criticisms.
As always, we accept and encourage letters to the editor, which are published in print on Wednesdays. As we receive them, they will be added for the community to read here along with the original column.
Read a guest column from Dr. Jakobi Williams, who teaches a class at IU about the Black Panther Party, here.
Mary Katherine Wildeman, editor-in-chief
editor@idsnews.com
@mkwildeman
Last week during the Super Bowl halftime show, Beyoncé performed her new single “Formation” while surrounded by a legion of beret-wearing backup dancers and donning a mock ammunition belt. The costuming paid homage to the Black Panther movement.
Given the current racial tension across the nation, this performance gives an inappropriate example to America’s black community. Beyoncé’s style promoted the ideas of a hate group to a mass audience.
In order to understand the ridiculously offensive nature of this act, it is important to know the history of the Black Panthers.
Founded in 1966 by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale, the anti-government party originally sought to spark a racial revolution for blacks in the United States. Members engaged in violence specifically aimed at white people, including police officers.
To say the Black Panthers were a peaceful organization would completely re-write history.
Their leader, Huey Newton, was convicted of assault in 1964. He was later killed in a drug-related incident in 1989.
His struggle with drugs and gang violence was clearly a terrible example for the black community.
Two members of this domestic terrorist organization were convicted of murder in 1970.
In the same year, the Black Panthers retaliated with an ambush on police officers in Oakland, California, in which two innocent police officers were wounded.
These facts are outlined in the book “The Shadow of the Panther,” by Hugh Pearson, as well as public court documents for each case.
The idea that this group should be promoted by anyone is disgusting and offensive.
It spits in the face of this group’s victims from decades before.
Beyoncé‘s ammo belt costume clearly shows that she understands the violent nature of this group and is explicitly endorsing the ownership and use of firearms by the black community.
Considering the hundreds of black children that die every year from gang-related violence, the costume was extremely offensive and in poor taste. We should not be encouraging violence in any way. We should not be encouraging a false history of a peace-loving Black Panther Party.
Beyoncé‘s violent get-up in the halftime show was more than simply symbolic of the black community’s struggle with oppression.
As Huey Newton put it, “Existence is violent, I exist, therefore I’m violent.”
Drawing artistic inspiration from a group such as the Black Panthers poses a threat, not only to white Americans, but to our entire society.
anderbri@umail.iu.edu
@MusingofBDA
Letter to the editor
IDS Editorial Staff,
Mr. Anderson’s recent column clearly cherry-picked facts in an attempt to either distort the history of the Black Panther Party or merely to incite controversy (maybe both?). And many IU faculty, staff and other students are better equipped than I am to defend the BPP’s history and mission.
But to me, Mr. Anderson’s ignorance, willful or not, is part of a bigger problem here. What concerns me is many of us here at IU are not adequately prepared to fight this ignorance in our community, as we are not exposed to the history of groups like the BPP or the issues they stood for. As a community, we can only fight ignorance and hate when we have the knowledge and understanding to identify it and push back.
Yes, Mr. Anderson’s warped view is very disturbing. But why don’t we have courses where those views are brought to light and debated in the classroom? Why aren’t students, like myself, more willing to have conversations on race with people who hold different views? The more we are all educated about issues of race in America, the more likely our IU community will be able to stand up to ignorance.
Best,
Jalen Walker
Letter to the editor
Dear Mr. Anderson,
I’m sorry that you feel as if Beyoncé’s halftime performance was an inappropriate example to America’s black community.
As an African-American woman who grew up in a south suburb of Chicago, I think I am well versed in the “black community” as you put it. First and foremost, Beyoncé paid homage not only to the Black Panther Party but to Michael Jackson as well. Additionally, her dancers helped raise awareness of an African American man, Mario Woods, who was shot and killed by the San Francisco police. I do not believe that many people knew of this.
Secondly, your article wanted to explain the history of the Black Panthers but you left out several KEY details: 1) It was founded by Dr. Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale (educated black men) in 1966 in Oakland, California, to arm citizens and create citizen patrols to monitor the behavior of the police and the police brutality. (Now remember this is the 1960s where black people did not have civil rights, couldn’t eat or drink at the same place as whites and were often beat and unjustly jailed. Yes, the Civil Rights Act was enacted in 1964, but everyone did not immediately welcome minority peoples with open arms.)
2) In 1969, the Black Panther Party started bringing in community programs to help African American people. They provided the “Free Breakfast for School Children” program, community health clinics, explanation of laws in their newsletter, etc.
3) It is known that the U.S. government targeted black groups (especially militant) to dissolve them. Lastly, you spoke of the ammo belt that Beyoncé wore, but if you know anything about previous Super Bowl entertainers, you would know that she was paying homage to Michael Jackson.
So Mr. Anderson, I’m sorry that you felt offended by Beyoncé, but she is using her platform to raise light to injustices that African American people have faced for years. We are here and the system has tried to keep us down in many ways, but in the words of Kendrick Lamar: We gonna be alright!
In the future, I ask that you do not have opinion pieces where you have not researched the matter fully and that you also obtain the opinion of the other side as well.
Best of luck to you in future endeavors,
Aisha Burton
