Black Panther Organizer Brings Message of Activism to Campus

Bobby Seale, co-founder and former chair of the Black Panther Party, will speak as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series, Monday, Nov. 10, at 7:30 p.m., in the Wisconsin Union Theater.

A key figure during the “Power to the People” revolution, Seale will recount the turbulence of the 1960s and ’70s and the growth of the Black Panther movement. More than 5,000 members strong at their height, the Black Panthers advocated the right to self defense and sought to change institutional racism, discrimination and police brutality.

Seale, who dubs himself a “revolutionary humanist,” calls for a new form of social and political activism for the ’90s.

“Today, you don’t need the guns,” Seale has told audiences. “If you want to observe the police, do it with a camcorder.”

Seale is currently the director of R.E.A.C.H.!, an organization that teaches young people how to effectively organize within the community.

Free tickets for those with a UW ID or Wisconsin Union membership will be available Wednesday, Nov. 5, at the theater box office. Tickets are limited to one per person. Free tickets for the general public will be available Friday, Nov. 7. Box office hours are 11:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and Saturdays, noon-5 p.m.