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Opinion: State Assembly Leaders Respond to National Park Service Yanking Grant for Black Panther History Project

By Anthony Rendon and Chris Holden
Apparently, history makes some people uncomfortable.
The facts make some people uncomfortable.
Pressure from people with a limited grasp of the past recently led the National Park Service to cancel a University of California historical research project regarding the Black Panther Party.
We know the Black Panthers are controversial. Even the document that awarded the grant refers to “the complex history of the Black Panther Party.”
But the project was for understanding that history, for probing into it, and how it related to historical incidents going back to World War II.
Instead of exploring history, we get an attempt to cover up the past by defunding the project.
The Fraternal Order of Police wrote to President Donald Trump, protesting the grant for the research.
That group has a complex history of its own, including protesting sales of Black Lives Matter t-shirts.
In their letter to the President, they called the Black Panthers “anti-American,” and quoted old FBI statements labeling it as “a black extremist group” advocating the “overthrow of the U.S. Government.”
FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover listed the Black Panthers as a hate group.
Yet, the FBI’s anti-Black Panther history goes far beyond that. The Black Panthers were subjected to constant surveillance, infiltration and attempts to discredit their activities.
Its members were criminalized, attacked, and sometimes killed for their pursuit of justice in the Black community.
Much of this was covered in an exhibit this year at the Oakland Museum of California. It is history.

Assemblymember Chris Holden
A thorough look at the Panthers’ history would include – as the Oakland museum did – the Party’s original 10 “wants.” They started with freedom, employment, and education, before getting to point 7: “We want an immediate end to police brutality and the murder of black people.”
Officially sanctioned violence against Blacks is a fact of American history, going back to the Atlantic Slave Trade.
The letter opposing the National Park Service grant barely touches on that shameful past, and in a skewed manner.
The letter suggests a parallel between its opposition to the research project and opposition to memorials to the Confederacy that subjugated Blacks as slaves. That is wrong.
To call Confederate markers, as the letter does, “memorials to aspects of the darker times in our history,” glosses over the 400-year legacy of the horrors inflicted on African Americans and on our country by the Confederacy.
Today, communities of color still face negative reactions for organizing to pursue justice and equality in the face of incidents of peace officer violence.
Groups like Black Lives Matter are seen as threats to a conservative world view. Those who share that view use the killing of a park ranger by a Panther as an excuse to defund the Black Panther project.
That is an attempt to cover up history.
Some members of the Black Panthers committed inexcusable acts. We won’t cover that up.
But we also know Black Panthers filled a void in the social safety net for its community through programs such as benefits counseling; drug/alcohol abuse awareness programs; free food, dental, and health programs; and much more.

Speaker Anthony Rendon
The historical research project that has been aborted promised to collect oral histories by those affected by the Black Panthers and their movement.
The project award document put out by the Parks Service speaks to an effort to “truthfully” address the legacy of the Black Panthers.
Those who want to stifle the project seem afraid to engage in meaningful dialogue about the past.
If history, any history, offers a lesson to us, it is that they will not be successful in the long run.
It has been suggested by Martin Luther King, Jr. and by Theodore Parker, a 19th-century anti-slavery activist, that the arc of the moral universe bends towards justice.
Maybe it’s right for opponents of this research to be afraid of history, because the facts suggest history will not be kind to them.
Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) is the 70th Speaker of the California State Assembly. Assemblymember Chris Holden is the Chair of the California Black Caucus (D-Pasadena).
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Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 30, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of May 28 – June 3, 2025

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Black Feminist Movement Mobilizes in Response to National Threats
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States.

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent
More than 500 Black feminists will convene in New Orleans from June 5 through 7 for what organizers are calling the largest Black feminist gathering in the United States. The event, led by the organization Black Feminist Future, is headlined by activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis. Paris Hatcher, executive director of Black Feminist Future, joined Black Press USA’s Let It Be Known to outline the mission and urgency behind the gathering, titled “Get Free.” “This is not just a conference to dress up and have a good time,” Hatcher said. “We’re building power to address the conditions that are putting our lives at risk—whether that’s policing, reproductive injustice, or economic inequality.” Hatcher pointed to issues such as rising evictions among Black families, the rollback of bodily autonomy laws, and the high cost of living as key drivers of the event’s agenda. “Our communities are facing premature death,” she said.
Workshops and plenaries will focus on direct action, policy advocacy, and practical organizing skills. Attendees will participate in training sessions that include how to resist evictions, organize around immigration enforcement, and disrupt systemic policies contributing to poverty and incarceration. “This is about fighting back,” Hatcher said. “We’re not conceding anything.” Hatcher addressed the persistent misconceptions about Black feminism, including the idea that it is a movement against men or families. “Black feminism is not a rejection of men,” she said. “It’s a rejection of patriarchy. Black men must be part of this struggle because patriarchy harms them too.” She also responded to claims that organizing around Black women’s issues weakens broader coalitions. “We don’t live single-issue lives,” Hatcher said. “Our blueprint is one that lifts all Black people.”
The conference will not be streamed virtually, but recaps and updates will be posted daily on Black Feminist Future’s YouTube channel and Instagram account. The event includes performances by Tank and the Bangas and honors longtime activists including Billy Avery, Erica Huggins, and Alexis Pauline Gumbs. When asked how Black feminism helps families, Hatcher said the real threat to family stability is systemic oppression. “If we want to talk about strong Black families, we have to talk about mass incarceration, the income gap, and the systems that tear our families apart,” Hatcher said. “Black feminism gives us the tools to build and sustain healthy families—not just survive but thrive.”
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Hoover’s Commutation Divides Chicago as State Sentence Remains
BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Hoover was convicted of murder and running a criminal enterprise. Although some supporters describe him as a political prisoner, the legal and public safety concerns associated with his name remain substantial.

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent
The federal sentence for Gangster Disciples founder Larry Hoover has been commuted, but he remains incarcerated under a 200-year state sentence in Illinois. The decision by Donald Trump to reduce Hoover’s federal time has reignited longstanding debates over his legacy and whether rehabilitation or continued punishment is warranted. The commutation drew immediate public attention after music executive Jay Prince and artist Chance the Rapper publicly praised Trump’s decision. “I’m glad that Larry Hoover is home,” said Chance the Rapper. “He was a political prisoner set up by the federal government. He created Chicago Votes, mobilized our people, and was targeted for that.”
But Hoover, the founder of the Gangster Disciples, is not home—not yet. Now in federal custody at the Florence Supermax in Colorado, Hoover was convicted of murder and running a criminal enterprise. Although some supporters describe him as a political prisoner, the legal and public safety concerns associated with his name remain substantial. “There is a divide in the Black community here,” said Chicago journalist Jason Palmer during an appearance on the Let It Be Known morning program. “Some view Hoover as someone who brought structure and leadership. Others remember the violence that came with his organization.” Palmer explained that while Hoover’s gang originally formed for protection, it grew into a criminal network responsible for extensive harm in Chicago. He also noted that Hoover continued to run his organization from state prison using coded messages passed through visitors, prompting his transfer to federal custody.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who is widely considered a potential 2028 presidential contender, has not issued a statement. Palmer suggested that silence is strategic. “Releasing Hoover would create enormous political consequences,” Palmer said. “The governor’s in a difficult spot—he either resists pressure from supporters or risks national backlash if he acts.” According to Palmer, Hoover’s federal commutation does not make him a free man. “The federal sentence may be commuted, but he still has a 200-year state sentence,” he said. “And Illinois officials have already made it clear they don’t want to house him in state facilities again. They prefer he remains in federal custody, just somewhere outside of Colorado.”
Palmer also raised concerns about what Hoover’s case could signal for others. “When R. Kelly was convicted federally, state prosecutors in Illinois and Minnesota dropped their charges. If a president can commute federal sentences based on public pressure or celebrity support, others like R. Kelly or Sean Combs could be next,” Palmer said. “Meanwhile, there are thousands of incarcerated people without fame or access to public platforms who will never get that consideration.” “There are people who are not here today because of the violence connected to these organizations,” Palmer said. “That has to be part of this conversation.”
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