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Bobby Seale, 1936-
Born Liberty, Texas
Inspired by Malcolm X's message of black empowerment, Bobby Seale and his friend Huey Newton co-founded the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense in Oakland, California, in 1966. In addition to providing assistance programs for the city's poor, the Black Panthers adopted a militant approach to social justice, challenging police brutality, racism, and economic exploitation through aggressive action. This portrait was made during Seale's trial as one of the "Chicago Eight," who were charged with conspiracy to incite riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. In response to Seale's vehement demands for his constitutional rights, the judge ordered him bound and gagged, and sentenced him to four years in prison for contempt. Those charges were dismissed, and his trial for murder the following year ended with a hung jury. Seale subsequently renounced violence as a means to an end and now devotes his time to advising students on community organizing and social change.
Anthony Salvatore Accurso, 1969 |