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I promised a transcript of Huey Newton's presentation in Yale and subsequent conversations. I can't find a digital version so I'll share highlights in the thread below. Unfortunately, the original recordings are private property and have only been licensed to one publisher.
Quick background: Huey P. Newton (HPN), Supreme Commander of the Black Panther Party, was invited to a Yale-hosted round table discussion comprised of the leading social theorists at the time. The round table was surrounded by a large audience of Yale students.
Because of the right-wing bias in media, HPN was popularly depicted as somewhat of a terrorist with extreme ideas such as the necessity of open carrying guns. At the roundtable was a leading psychoanalyst Erik Erikson (EE) sympathetic to HPN's views.
Although neither EE and HPN understood this until conversations between themselves later, the audience didn't know what to make of HPN when he presented himself as a thoughtful intellectual who promoted ideas of love while maintaining a rigorous+critical philosophical framework.
HPN starts by grounding everyone around materialism. This sets the boundaries of the discussion and creates a point-of-view of which to understand the world. Of course materialism is also the basis of natural science. HPN extends it to the social sciences.
He reminds everyone that the world is in constant motion and thus the Party's understanding and methods must also be in constant motion. He explains the development of the Panthers from Black Nationalists to Internationalists to "Revolutionary Intercommunalists"
continued:
There is a long question and answer session where HPN expands on details that may have been lacking in his summary. To share one example, he is asked why the Panthers only accept black members and given so, how do they expect to lead a revolution that requires racial/ethnic unity
On the next day the concept of violence is deeply engaged with. HPN spectacularly holds his ground and gets many in the audience to concede. He also touches on how the Vietnamese refer to enemies as "unconscious lackeys of ruling circles," holding respect for fallen invaders.
During the rest of Day 2, HPN, EE, audience members, have a lengthy discussion on identity. In the end someone asks if the Party is thinking about how they will manage power and lead the world in the right direction. HPN responds "Oh, yes. We are definitely thinking about that."
I add more excerpts to this thread another day. I urge everyone to pick up this book. My favorite part is when Huey conceptualizes what mankind will be like once all antagonistic contradictions are resolved. He says that mankind will reach a state of God or Godliness.
