Was The Black Panther Party a successful force for change during the Essay

Was The Black Panther Party a successful force for change during the civil rights years - Essay Example its aims and policies (Wikipedia.org), rejecting armed resistance and instead focusing on tackling matters relating to social, economic and political inequality not only of African Americans, but also other minority groups in the country. The BPP efforts, however, were not only unappreciated, but also vehemently opposed by the government, Federal Bureau of Investigation {FBI} and the police, resulting in its unfortunate and untimely demise after a promising span of just 14 years. While it lasted, the BPP undoubtedly represented a successful force for change during the civil rights years. The general situation refers to the circumstances prevailing in the country since the Civil War ended. The War, hailed as the destroyer of slavery of blacks after having suffered years of oppression, did not in fact result in the anticipated assimilation of blacks into American mainstream society. Oppression of blacks continued in the form of Ku Klux Klan atrocities, widespread lynching of blacks and the de facto refusal to grant them all civil rights. Blacks responded by non-violent means, forming representative organizations to put forward their protests. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People {NAACP} was created to foster assimilation of blacks into mainstream American society. The Universal Negro Improvement Association {UNIA} headed by Marcus Garvey was established to foster independence of blacks. Not only did these associations prove ineffective, the response of white Americans – violent, suppressive and unbending – showed no signs of com promise. Blacks continued to live in oppression in the United States (Blackpanther.org). The specific situation followed the groundbreaking Civil Rights Act that the United States Congress enacted in 1964. It prohibited racial discrimination in public facilities. The Act was the culmination of the Civil Rights Movement spearheaded by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – a struggle that involved nonviolent blacks being