You may know Bobby Seale from the conspiracy trial that shocked the world when the judge ordered him gagged and bound to his chair in court. But despite their attempt at silencing him, this Black Panther Party co-founder had more than a few fighting words for the system.
“We go forth as human beings to remove these pigs, these hogs in the power structure, murdering and brutalizing people,” he condemned police outside the 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention.
“[They’re] not only here in the confines of racist, decadent America, but murdering, brutalizing and oppressing people around the world.” But he didn’t just stop there.
“Whenever the people disagree with the political decisions that have been made upon their heads,” he continued to the crowd, “... the racist power structure sends in guns and force to see that the people accept those political decisions.”
Decades later, we still see that with police brutalizing protesters exercising their rights.
“But we are here as revolutionaries,” Seale finished, “to let them know that we refuse to accept those political decisions that maintain the oppression of our Black people and other people in the world.”
Seale’s words still ring true today. Without challenge, there would be no change. And part of challenging the system is refusing to back down when authorities threaten you to stop speaking up!