The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was an African-American revolutionary socialist organization active in the United States from 1966 until 1982. At its height, The Black Panther Party had chapters in most major urban American cities as well as numerous international chapters. In addition to solidarity actions in support of struggles for national liberation, The Black Panther Party achieved large amounts of grassroots community success as a result of their free breakfast, clothing, education, transportation and health programs for youth and community members and constant advocacy around issues of self defense and police brutality. Through COINTELPRO (the FBI's counter-insurgency program), the US government waged war on the Black Panther Party finally resulting in the party's decline in the late 1970s. The original ten point platform of the party reads:

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.
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.