Huey P. Newton Biography

Huey Percy Newton was a revolutionary political activist who co-founded the Black Panther Party along with Bobby Seale. Interest in radical politics came naturally to Newton whose father was an active member of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP); in fact, he was named after the radical politician Huey Long who was the former governor of Louisiana. He grew up poor and often found himself the victim of racial discrimination which disgusted him. In spite of attending several public schools, he was never taught anything of value which forced him to self-educate himself. He already began having brushes with the law by the time he was a teenager. He became involved in politics while at college where he met Bobby Seale. The duo formed the Black Panther party with a view to protect the black community from racial attacks and police brutality. The party soon became very popular and had members in several cities throughout the U.S. Newton believed in the use of violence to achieve his means and the party was soon described by the FBI as being a threat to national security. Newton’s life increasingly became embroiled in a cycle of drugs and violence, and he often came into conflict with the Black Guerilla Family (BGF) which ultimately led to his murder at the hands of a BGF member.