This Day in History: Black Panther Party Co-Founder Huey P. Newton Tragically Killed

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Huey P. Newton, national defense minister of the Black Panther Party, raises his clenched fist behind the podium as he speaks at a convention sponsored by the Black Panthers at Temple University's McGonigle Hall in Philadelphia, Pa., Saturday, Sept. 5, 1970. He is surrounded by security guards of the movement. The audience gathered is estimated at 6,000 with another thousand outside the crowded hall. (AP Photo)
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On this day in 1989, the world lost a prominent figure in the civil rights and Black Panther movements, Huey P. Newton.

Newton was an influential leader and co-founder of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, which was established in 1966 in Oakland, California. On August 22, 1989, at the age of 47, he was tragically shot and killed in West Oakland.

Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton, center, arrives at the Alameda County Courthouse in Oakland, Calif., Nov. 9, 1971, for the start of his third trial on manslaughter charges. Newton is charged with the fatal shooting of an Oakland policeman in 1967. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Newton was a tireless advocate for social justice and civil rights, and his commitment to empowering marginalized communities left a mark on American history.

The Black Panther Party’s dedication to challenging racial injustice and its efforts to uplift disadvantaged communities continue to influence activists and social justice movements today.


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