The Black Panther Party analyzed the ten points of the Bill of Rights and knew that it hadn’t been written for us. However, the Party did know that structure is supported by governance, so in 1967 they came up with their own Bill of Rights: the Ten-Point Program.
The program demanded things like freedom, full employment, reparations, decent housing, honest education, an end to police brutality, fair trials, and for all basic needs to be met.
The program laid the foundation for battling social and economic problems. As the foundation settled, actions for Black liberation inspired our people and even other social justice groups around the world.
With this Black constitutional order, the Panthers envisioned a government where our people are treated equally. They worked hard to make that vision a reality. And that vision still lives on today, with modern programs drawing inspiration from what the Panthers created. While the Party may not hold the power it once had, they left us with a system that holds all the power we need.
The Ten-Point Program allowed our people to reimagine what governance can look like when we are treated equally. What is your vision of how we can build this kind of government?