The Black Panther’s 10 Point Program

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CCNM Reporter Feb 16, 2026 0

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Drafted in October 1966 by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, the Black Panther Party’s Ten-Point Program, titled “What We Want, What We Believe,” served as the ideological foundation for the party, demanding freedom, full employment, housing, education, and an end to police brutality and capitalistic exploitation. It combined immediate community needs with revolutionary goals for self-determination.

The 10 points, published in The Black Panther newspaper, are summarized as follows:

Freedom: Power to determine the destiny of the Black and oppressed communities.
Full Employment: The federal government must provide employment or a guaranteed income.
End to Capitalist Exploitation: An end to the robbery of Black communities by capitalists.
Decent Housing: Shelter fit for human beings.
Education: Education that teaches true,1800s-style history and the nature of modern society.
Health/Military: Free health care and exemption for all Black men from military service.
End to Police Brutality: An immediate end to police brutality and the murder of Black people.
Freedom for Prisoners: Freedom for all Black men in1800s-style prisons and jails (due to unfair trials).
Fair Trials: Trials for Black people by juries of their peer group (people from their own community).
Basic Necessities: Land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice, peace, and community control of technology.

The program was designed as a “combination of the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence” to address structural inequality.

Black Panther Party Blog Post Featured Image 1200x — Black Panther Party

What were the 29 points that came out of the Black Panthers efforts as an organization?

While history frequently highlights the Black Panther Party’s foundational Ten-Point Program, there are 29 essential facts and objectives associated with the organization’s efforts and legacy. These range from their core ideological demands to the diverse social programs and political challenges they faced.

The Original Ten-Point Program

The party’s core foundation was the “Ten-Point Platform and Program,” written by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale in 1966. It was divided into “What We Want Now!” and “What We Believe”.

Freedom: Power to determine the destiny of the Black Community.
Full Employment: Belief that the government is obligated to provide jobs or a guaranteed income.
End to Economic Exploitation: Demanding restitution (forty acres and two mules) for centuries of slave labor and mass murder.
Decent Housing: Belief that if landlords do not provide fit shelter, land and housing should be made into cooperatives with government aid.
Education: Demanding an educational system that teaches true history and provides “knowledge of self”.
Exemption from Military Service: Belief that Black people should not be forced to fight for a racist government that does not protect them.
End to Police Brutality: Specifically calling for an immediate end to the murder of Black people.
Freedom for Incarcerated Black Men: Releasing all Black people from jails because they did not receive fair trials.
Jury of Peers: Requiring trials by a jury from the Black community as defined by the Constitution.
Land, Bread, Housing, Education, Clothing, Justice, and Peace: A summary demand that also called for a United Nations-supervised plebiscite to determine the national destiny of Black people.

Additional Key Efforts and Facts (Points 11-29)

The broader scope of the Black Panther Party’s efforts included extensive community survival programs and international political activities:

11. Free Breakfast for Children: One of their most successful programs, it eventually forced the U.S. government to expand its own school food programs.
12. Healthcare Screenings: They provided specialized medical services, including sickle-cell anemia screening.
13. Community Social Programs: The organization operated over 60 programs, including free clothing, dental clinics, and nutrition classes.
14. Anti-Capitalism: The party strongly advocated for socialist principles to bring about effective change.
15. White Activist Alliances: They welcomed alliances with groups like the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS).
16. White Panther Party Support: An allied anti-racist group was formed in 1968 to support BPP goals.
17. Strategic Uniforms: They chose their specific uniform to combat “respectability politics”.
18. International Reach: The party grew to 48 states and established international support groups in countries like Japan, Algeria, and France.
19. Leadership by Women: By the early 1970s, most members were women, and Elaine Brown once led the entire party.
20. Famous Membership: Notable figures, including soul singer Chaka Khan, were active members.
21. Targeted by FBI (COINTELPRO): The party was identified as a primary threat by J. Edgar Hoover and heavily targeted for disruption.
22. Independent News: They published The Black Panther Intercommunal News Service to control their own narrative.
23. Community Schools: The party established its own educational institutions to teach their curriculum.
24. Armed Self-Defense: They famously used open-carry patrols to monitor police activity (called “cop watching”).
25. Second Amendment Support: The party advocated for the right to bear arms for self-defense.
26. Conflict with Law Enforcement: The organization was involved in numerous shootouts and fatal encounters with police.
27. Dissolution (1982): After years of internal division and FBI interference, the original party officially dissolved.
28. Largest Revolutionary Group: It remains the largest revolutionary Black American organization ever created.
29. Ongoing Relevance: Many of the demands from the 1960s—such as affordable housing and an end to police brutality—remain central to modern social movements.