A MESSAGE FROM YAFEUH BALOGUN,
co-founder of the Huey P. Newton Gun Club
Huey P. Newton co-founded the Black Panther Party in 1966 to end the capitalistic oppression of all people in the United States, which included fighting directly against police terrorism targeting African Americans. At the founding of the party, they were Black Nationalists. Newton’s analysis of struggle and revolution within the United States and throughout the world evolved, and from that day until this one various formation and tendencies have identified with the Black Panther Party. These formations have used the name and history to further agendas and platforms that promote Black Nationalism, Black Separatism and the formation of a Black only nation or colony within the United States.
In 1970, Comrade Newton introduced “Revolutionary Intercommunalism” and moved past the ideology of Black Nationalism and Revolutionary Nationalism. Comrade Newton argued that “Using the dialectical materialist method, we in the Black Panther Party saw that the United States was no longer a nation. If colonies cannot “decolonize” and return to their original existence as nations, then nations no longer exist. And since there must be nations for revolutionary nationalism or internationalism to make sense, we decided that we would have to call ourselves something new.”
In 2014, I co-founded the Huey P. Newton Gun Club based solely on issues of police brutality faced here in the City of Dallas. Dallas Communities Organizing for Change showed concretely through research and analysis that “police terrorism” did indeed exist and has continued to exist, as we see with the recent murder Botham Jean. The formation that I founded was a COALITION of various groups with CONFLICTING ideologies, some socialist, others Black Nationalist. Huey P. Newton was neither of the two, but rather something deeper, something more scientific. Comrade Newton’s perspective originated not in the separation of the people from, and the necessary destruction of an oppressive system, but in the love of the people. The Black Panther Party and Comrade Newton founded the ideology of Revolutionary Intercommunalism in the United States over 40 years ago, and I admit that the Huey P. Newton Gun Club at its creation did not and does not currently function under its namesake’s beliefs. This is an egregious mistake, an error I take personal responsibility for, and will now correct.
With that being stated, I CALL FOR THE CREATION OF THE HUEY P. NEWTON GUN CLUB ALPHA COMPANY, a new cadre with the following guidelines:
The Huey P. Newton Gun Club
(Alpha Company Requirements & Guidelines)
1. Read and understand the ideology of Huey P. Newton, through books and his speeches. Constant political education is required. Our primary function is as a collective based developing political ideology and programs to educate the people. We are NOT a Panther formation of present-day or past design, The Black Panther Party existed from 1966-1982, since then there have been several revisions or efforts to resurrect the Party. We do not wish to follow that path but desire only to stand and exist on the ideals of Huey P. Newton and grow further in the 21 century.
2. Each local cadre is autonomous to their own community.
3. Local meetings required on a monthly basis at a minimum.
4. The company will not exclude any person based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs from joining.
5. Respect ALL elders and former members of the BPP, BLA, SNCC, PG-RNA, and RAM.
6. ALL members are to purchase an HPNGC- Alpha cadre patch and work diligently to purchase at one handgun and one rifle, and other such items necessary to carry out self-defense training and maneuvers.
7. The Alpha Company, its allies, and comrades, in its entirety will hold political education locally on February 17th of each year as a celebration. This will be called “Huey P. Newton Day”
8. Each Chapter will continually seek to recruit new members and promote Revolutionary Intercommunalism.
By: Yafeuh Balogun
www.HueyPNewtonGunClub.org