New Black Panther Party uses old school tactics to serve the poor

By Leroy Shabazz | Last updated: Feb 9, 2010 - 1:35:59 PM

‘The working together to feed and clothe our people is a humbling experience and you don't have big egos getting in the way when you see the needy close up.’
—Shaka Shakur,
New York chairperson of the New Black Panther Party

NEW YORK (FinalCall.com) - Angel, a 34 year old unemployed resident of Spanish Harlem, stood in 26 degree temperatures enjoying a plate of food doled out by volunteers from the People Survival Program. Their presence in his high poverty neighborhood made the remaining line of hungry men and women smile in warm appreciation for their turn to eat.

This was Angel's first hot meal since the day before, he said.And, like most of the nation's unemployed, he wants to work but cannot find opportunity.“This feeding program is key,” he explained, “I see lots of hardship, homelessness while top execs scam the government and leave the little people in need.”

The presidential election of 2008 was the triumphant culmination of year-long rallies that brought tens of thousands of White and Black Americans to the rallying cry of, “Yes We Can!” It was another pivotal moment when a Black person was pushing America's moral potential to correct a perilous plummet into war, unemployment, foreclosures, loss of industrial capacity, unparalleled debt and loss of respect among the world's nations.

This volunteer food program in Harlem reflects a growing realization that the hoped for change from the top must give way to people saving themselves and their communities.

The People Survival Program is gaining the attention of government funded and non-profit organizations because the successful six month experiment by the New Black Panther Party has pulled 14 groups together for the common interest of feeding and clothing the needy.The task was made easy for the party because of its ongoing food program that brought it into contact with other groups on the same mission, said Shaka Shakur, New York chairperson of the party led by Attorney Malik Zulu Shabazz.

“This is the first time in my experience where Black people see Black people doing for one another without interference from others,” said Mr. Shakur. “In fact, the working together to feed and clothe our people is a humbling experience and you don't have big egos getting in the way when you see the needy close up.”

The New Black Panther Party members are a youthful group attempting to recapture the energy of self-pride and community action indicative of the 1960s and 1970s. Towards that end they have actively sought the knowledge of original Black Panthers and even the Young Lords, the Puerto Rican activist group that upset the status quo in Spanish Harlem.Mr. Shakur explained that the veterans of struggle have been very forthcoming about the strengths and weaknesses of that earlier period.

“Both the Panthers and Young Lords have told us that feeding our people is key and that you must have a spiritual base of ethics and morals to guide the membership,” Mr. Shakur continued.“Therefore, areas where we set up food tents have the greatest concentration of need which means that our good deeds will have that greater impact, like this area on Lexington between 124th and 126th Streets which is filled with men and women who need motivation and hope.”

The presence of the food program every second Friday draws an immediate line where hundreds of men congregate before getting on city buses that take them to Wards Island, a complex of homeless shelters that can accommodate 800 people.

“Imam Jamil Al-Amin has clear words of wisdom for activists,” Mr. Shakur said while nodding to the line of hungry people, “and, that is a hungry man's revolution is food and a naked man's revolution is clothing.Furthermore for anyone undertaking coalition building they need to pay attention to the Mission Statement of The Million Man March and the ministries concept of the Millions More Movement.”

As the food ran out other volunteers came forward to give out winter coats to another line of men and women, some with children.One of these volunteers, Brother Yoda, said they could serve food all day; they just need more people to step forward to offer food.“What warms my heart is the appreciation spoken and the smiles,” he said, “because we're repeating a successful time in history of the original Panthers and Young Lords feeding the poor and conveying self-respect and this time we've added our own flavor, coalition building with other groups and therefore our efforts have a more powerful and lasting impact.”

According to Shaka Shakur, the 14 groups brought together under the People Survival Program are: the Almighty Universal Zulu Nation, The Fraternal Order of Black Spades, Black Law Enforcement Alliance, Street Corner Resources, Harlem Single Stop, Harlem Tenants Council, Church of El Barrio, Black Student Union of City College, Safyia Bukhari and Albert Nuh Foundation, Black Panther Commemoration Committee, United Muslim Alliance, Mosque of Islamic Brotherhood, Dr. Barbara Ann Teer's National Black Theater, and the New Black Panther Party.

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