How violent were the Black Panthers, if at all?

Find out more about the history of Black Panthers, including videos, interesting articles, pictures, historical features and more. Get all the facts on HISTORY.com. read more

The Black Panthers were not so much violent as they were confrontational. They called themselves Black Panthers for a reason. FBI Director Herbert Hoover saw the Black Panthers as a group with plans to overthrow the U.S. government. read more

All Black Panther survivors were taken into custody. To this day, and despite the violence, many Black Panthers consider that moment a victory, including Wayne Pharr, who gives a detailed and riveting account in the documentary, and his recent book, of what exactly went down that day. read more

The Black Panthers were involved in numerous violent encounters with police. In 1967, founder Huey Newton allegedly killed Oakland police officer John Frey. Newton was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in 1968 and was sentenced to two to 15 years in prison. An appellate court decision later reversed the conviction. read more