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On the Constitution. Message to America Delivered on the 107th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation at Washington, D.C., Capitol of Babylon, World Racism, and Imperialism June 19, 1970. Towards a New Constitution.
[Oakland: Black Panther Party, 1970]. Bifolium on newsprint (44.5 x 29 cm). 4 pp. A scarce Panther item, published both separately and also as an insert to the June 1970 issue of The Black Panther newspaper. During the late 1960s and early ‘70s, the Black Panther Party attained the height of its influence and underwent a shift from exclusively black-oriented concerns to a more capacious and inclusive program, as demonstrated by this document. Composed by two of its most famous leaders, Eldridge Cleaver and Huey P. Newton, the present text was issued by the Panthers on the anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and comprises three works: “On the Constitution,” “Towards a New Constitution” and “Message to America.” The latter calls for the adoption of a “Revolutionary People’s Constitution” and threatens armed insurrection if their demands are not met. “We are 25 to 30 million strong, and we are armed.” “On the Constitution” follows suit with the following declaration:
What we need, at this time, is an over-all framework and structure to our struggle so that everybody can see how we can move…we must also begin to articulate a rational and positive alternative to the system. It is not enough just to say that the we’re going to have socialism, or that we’re going to change this decadent Capitalist system. We must also point out that we want Socialism and how we go about getting it.
The front-cover graphic combines several photographic portraits of Eldridge Cleaver with Emory Douglas’s startling illustration of Cleaver in an electric chair; the last page features a photographic portrait of Huey P. Newton. All three texts conclude with the resounding, “ALL POWER TO THE PEOPLE.” CONDITION: Very good, tiny marginal tears at top of pages with no affect to the text, paper toned, old horizontal fold as issued.
Item #5011
Price: $250.00