Aaron Dixon reads The Black Panther newspaper back in the day. In Oakland, de Fremery/Lil’ Bobby Hutton Memorial Park, Merritt College and numerous other sites would join the newly designated Huey P. Newton Way, a … She beams with admiration for the party’s trailblazing work. It’s known to locals as “Lil Bobby Hutton Park,” after a 17-year-old who was among the first young people to join the Black Panther Party and became the first member to be killed in a confrontation with police in 1968. So in that moment, what are we going to do? Organized by family members and former Black Panther Party members, the memorial event features speakers, performers, and art works commemorating Hutton's black consciousness and dedication to the party. https://youtu.be/PWjQLm87mMw Elbert “Big Man” Howard died in Santa Rosa at the age of 80 on July 23. St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church (now St. Andrew’s Missionary Baptist Church) 2624 West Street at 27th Street [11][12][13], Hutton has been referenced frequently in popular music. “I teach Panther history and my students are always struck when I take them through Oakland, by how alive it is for some and invisible for others,” Bhaumik said. [1] Another account from Kathleen Cleaver states that Hutton was embarrassed to remove his clothing and so he only took off his shirt and kept on his pants. In January 1969, the Black Panther party’s Free for Children Breakfast Program held its first gathering at St Augustine Episcopal church, less than a mile from Saturday’s festivities. Tomorrow, many from Oakland's myriad communities will observe Bobby Hutton … [6][9][10], Bobby Hutton's death at the hands of the Oakland police was seen by those sympathetic to the Black Panther Party as an example of police brutality against blacks. Youth, families, and allies gathered in Lil Bobby Hutton Park in Oakland California on Juneteenth to ask: "Are we truly free?" For the last 13 years, the Life is Living Festival has taken place at Little Bobby Hutton Park in West Oakland but due to the impacts of COVID and wildfires we must host the festival virtually this year. The park was home to Panther rallies and gatherings. A Black Panther poster, courtesy Emory Douglas. When he was three years old, his family moved to Oakland, California during the second wave of the Great Migration, after they were visited by nightriders intimidating and threatening blacks in the area. Jennings would work at St Augustine’s early in the morning before heading to class at Laney College. About 1,500 people attended the funeral. In April 1968, while attending the funeral of Panther member Robert "Lil Bobby" James Hutton (1950-1968) in California, Aaron and Elmer Dixon and several other organizers from Seattle met party co-founder Bobby Seale and expressed interest in starting a Seattle chapter. 11 hours ago; 3 min read; The Short Life of Lil’ Bobby Hutton Tag: Lil Bobby Hutton Park. In 1998, DeFremery Park was actually renamed Lil' Bobby Hutton Park by the Oakland City Council. … O n Saturday, Oct. 12, a few former members of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense will convene at what's commonly known as Lil Bobby Hutton Park in West Oakland (DeFremery Park by others) to serve free breakfast.. By the end of 1969, the program fed 20,000 children across 19 cities. A rally held afterwards in West Oakland was attended by over 2,000 people, and included a eulogy by actor Marlon Brando. The Commemoration Committee for the Black Panther Party later organized the Lil’ Bobby Hutton Literacy Campaign. 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