The Black Panther Party Ten‑Point Platform and Program 1966 ‑ Present

The Ten‑Point Program, or The Black Panther Party for Self‑Defense Ten‑Point Platform and Program, is a set of guidelines to the Black Panther Party.

The document was created in 1966 by the founders of the Black Panther Party, Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. Each one of the statements were put in place for all of the Black Panther Party members to live by and actively practice every day. The Ten‑Point program was released on May 15, 1967 in the second issue of the party's weekly newspaper, The Black Panther. All succeeding 537 issues contained the program, titled "What We Want Now!.” The Ten Point Program comprised two sections: The first, titled "What We Want Now!" described what the Black Panther Party wants from what they would describe as the racist leaders of American Society. The second section, titled "What We Believe," outlines the philosophical views of the party and the rights that African Americans should have, but are denied. It is structured similarly to the United States Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution.

1. We want freedom. We want power to determine the destiny of our Black Community.

2. We want full employment for our people.

3. We want an end to the robbery by the white men of our Black Community. (later changed to "we want an end to the robbery by the capitalists of our black and oppressed communities.")

4. We want decent housing, fit for shelter of human beings.

5. We want education for our people that exposes the true nature of this decadent American society. We want education that teaches us our true history and our role in the present day society.

6. We want all Black men to be exempt from military service.

7. We want an immediate end to POLICE BRUTALITY and MURDER of Black people.

8. We want freedom for all Black men held in federal, state, county and city prisons and jails.

9. We want all Black people when brought to trial to be tried in court by a jury of their peer group or people from their Black Communities, as defined by the Constitution of the United States.

10. We want land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice and peace.