David Hilliard (born May 15, 1942) is a former member of the
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party (BPP), originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, was a Marxist-Leninist and black power political organization founded by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton in October 1966 in Oakland, Califo ...
, having served as Chief of Staff.
He became a visiting instructor at the
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...
in 2006. He also is the founder of the Dr. Huey P. Newton foundation.
Early life
David Hilliard was born on May 15, 1942, in
Rockville, Alabama to
Lela and
Lee Hilliard. David had six brothers and five sisters: Theodore, Allen, Nathaniel, Van, Roosevelt, Arthur, Rose Lee, Sweetie, Dorty Mae, Vera Lee, and Eleanora.
His mother and father met in 1916 when his mother was 16, a little less than half the age of his father. In his childhood Hilliard met
Huey Newton
Huey Percy Newton (February 17, 1942 – August 22, 1989) was an African-American revolutionary, notable as founder of the Black Panther Party. Newton crafted the Party's ten-point manifesto with Bobby Seale in 1966.
Under Newton's leadership ...
, who would later become the leader of the
Black Panther movement.
Family life
David Hilliard married Patrica (Pat) Hilliard in 1959. Patricia and David met at a David's friend Malcom Newton's fraternity party. Although Pat at first resisted pursuit by David, she eventually agreed to date him. At the age of 17 David was informed that Patricia was pregnant and he dropped out of high school. At 17 David and Patricia married at Berkeley City Hall.
David, due to his lack of a high school diploma and skills had a hard time finding jobs. He worked many odd jobs including: cleaning up after skilled laborers, a tile chipper, working at canneries, and a car salesman.
David and Patricia Hilliard had three children: Patrice, Darryl, and Dorian. They named their daughter after Patrice Munsel, one of David's favorite singers. Dorian was named after
Dorian Gray
''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is a philosophical novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American periodical '' Lippincott's Monthly Magazine''.''The Picture of Dorian G ...
, the main character in Oscar Wilde's famous novel ''
The Picture of Dorian Gray
''The Picture of Dorian Gray'' is a philosophical fiction, philosophical novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde. A shorter novella-length version was published in the July 1890 issue of the American periodical ''Lippincott's Monthly Magazine''.''Th ...
''.
During their early married life David faced alcohol addiction and a lack of anger management.
During his involvement with the Black Panthers David Hilliard met Brenda Presley and the two began an intimate relationship. David and Brenda had a daughter named Dassine.
Work in the Black Panthers
Hilliard became involved in the Black Panther movement in 1966 while living in
Oakland, California
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...
.
Huey P. Newton, Hilliard's childhood friend informed him of this organization which
Bobby Seale
Robert George Seale (born October 22, 1936) is an American political activist and author. Seale is widely known for co-founding the Black Panther Party with fellow activist Huey P. Newton. Founded as the "Black Panther Party for Self-Defense", ...
and he were founding. This organization believed in defense of minority groups by any means necessary and followed a 10-point plan outlining "What We Want" and "What We Believe." Early actions of the Black Panthers involved intercepting in police brutalities through using arms to enforce police rules of conduct.
After the arrest of Huey Newton on October 28, 1967, for an armed scuffle with the Oakland Police resulting in the death of Officer John Frey,
David Hilliard acted as the interim leader of the Black Panthers.
Hilliard helped to then organize a rally in February 1968 called the "Free Huey Rally" that drew 6,000 people.
Programs Organized with the Black Panthers
Hilliard was involved in the many programs organized by the Black Panthers. The Black Panthers organized programs called survival programs including:
breakfast programs for school children, health clinics, and programs for prisoners. These programs were called survival programs because they simply help communities survive rather than addressing the systemic reasons behind these problems. These programs were free to those in need.
In 1971 the Black Panther Party formed
the Intercommunal Youth Institute. This program addressed the systematic oppression of African American students in the public school system. The Black Panthers believed that public schools failed to teach analytical skills that are necessary to survive in society. This school for children in Oakland taught children to analyze and criticize and respond with creative solutions.
Free Health Care was provided to people who could not afford the cost of public health care through the People's Free Medical Research Health Clinics. These clinics provided service ranging from testing for sickle cell anemia to providing references and rides to outside experts.
Other programs that Hilliard helped organize included: a community learning center, after school programs, escorts to protect the elderly, and free clothing programs.
Influences
After reading
Malcolm X
Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement. A spokesman for the Nation of Is ...
's autobiography as a teenager, David Hilliard had a deep respect for his militancy. Although he admired the charisma of Martin Luther King Jr. he did not agree with MLK's advocacy for non-violent resistance.
In his early teen years Hilliard had little involvement in politics. In the summer of 1965 his nephew Bojack participated in the riots in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Seeing his nephew on TV inspired Hilliard to learn more about activism and politics.
Fellow Black Panther Party member and BPP Central Committee member
Donald L. Cox
Donald Lee Cox (April 16, 1936 – February 19, 2011), known as Field Marshal DC, was an early member of the leadership of the African American revolutionary leftist organization the Black Panther Party, joining the group in 1967. Cox was title ...
has suggested that during Hilliard's stint as BPP Chief of Staff, Hilliard became an autocrat highly influenced by
Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...
. Cox has stated that as the party explored
Marxist theory
Marxist philosophy or Marxist theory are works in philosophy that are strongly influenced by Karl Marx's materialist approach to theory, or works written by Marxists. Marxist philosophy may be broadly divided into Western Marxism, which drew fro ...
,
Marxist-Leninism became the party line and that in particular Stalin's book
Foundations of Leninism
''Foundations of Leninism'' is a 1924 collection by Joseph Stalin of nine lectures he delivered at Sverdlov University that year. It was published by the Soviet newspaper, ''Pravda''.
Background
After the January 1924 death of Vladimir Lenin, a ...
was read and practised. Reflecting those principles, Cox alleges that Hilliard began to place loyalty to the party above all and dealt out punishment, denouncement or expulsion from the Black Panther Party to those who opposed him or the party line, even for the slightest of offence, with his orders being carried out by internal enforcers known as the "Black Guard" and "Buddha Samurai". Simultaneously, Cox says, Hillard dismantled the power and authority of all other members of the Black Panther's central committee aside from himself, and that of Huey Newton, in a vicious drive for power.
Hilliard's Arrests
In January 1968 Hilliard was arrested for handing out pamphlets outside of Oakland Technical High School.
Hilliard was convicted on two counts of assault with a deadly weapon for his part in a 1968 ambush on
Oakland Police
The Oakland Police Department (OPD) is a law enforcement agency responsible for policing the city of Oakland, California, United States. As of May 2021, the department employed 709 sworn officers and 371 civilian employees. The department is di ...
officers in retribution for the assassination of Martin Luther King. Two police officers were wounded.
The April 6, 1968 encounter led to the death of party member
Bobby Hutton
Robert James Hutton (April 21, 1950 – April 6, 1968), also known as "Lil' Bobby", was the treasurer and first recruit to join the Black Panther Party.[Eldridge Cleaver
Leroy Eldridge Cleaver (August 31, 1935 – May 1, 1998) was an American writer and political activist who became an early leader of the Black Panther Party.
In 1968, Cleaver wrote '' Soul on Ice'', a collection of essays that, at the time of i ...]( ...<br></span></div> and the capture of <div class=)
, who masterminded the botched operation. According to Cleaver, Hutton was shot by police while surrendering with his hands up. Hilliard left this standoff unscathed having taken shelter under a family friends bed.
The attention placed on the Black Panthers by the FBI heightened after the 1968 encounter.
J. Edgar Hoover
John Edgar Hoover (January 1, 1895 – May 2, 1972) was an American law enforcement administrator who served as the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He was appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation â ...
, the director of the FBI called the Black Panthers "the greatest threat to the internal security of the country."
On December 3, 1969, Hilliard was arrested for threatening to kill President
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
.
This threat was announced in Hilliard's speech given on November 15, 1969, at Golden Gate Park. In his speech Hilliard was quoted saying "We will kill Richard Nixon."
In July 1971, Hilliard was sentenced to one to ten years and incarcerated at
Vacaville Prison Two prisons are located in Vacaville, California, United States:
* California Medical Facility (CMF) ()
* California State Prison, Solano ()
These two prisons are located together at the base of several hills on the outskirts of Vacaville. These ...
.
In January 1973 while serving a sentence of six months to 10 years, he was denied parole.
In his autobiography ''
Revolutionary Suicide
''Revolutionary Suicide'' is an autobiography written by Huey P. Newton with assistance from J. Herman Blake originally published in 1973. Newton was a major figure in the American black liberation movement and in the wider 1960s counterculture. ...
'',
Huey P. Newton
Huey Percy Newton (February 17, 1942 – August 22, 1989) was an African-American revolutionary, notable as founder of the Black Panther Party. Newton crafted the Party's ten-point manifesto with Bobby Seale in 1966.
Under Newton's leadershi ...
claimed the
district attorney
In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a l ...
of
Alameda County
Alameda County ( ) is a List of counties in California, county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and List ...
was attempting to send Hilliard to prison on "
trumped up charges".
Later life
After being released from prison Hilliard moved to Los Angeles and secured a job at Tom Hayden's organization called the
Campaign for Economic Democracy
Campaign for Economic Democracy (CED) was a California-based political action committee founded by activist and politician Tom Hayden along with his wife, actress and activist Jane Fonda. The CED was formed to promote New Left issues such as rent c ...
(CED). During this post-prison period, Hilliard struggled with drug addiction. After moving to Connecticut, Hilliard worked as an organizer for the New England Health Care Employees Union. After going through drug treatment, Hilliard relapsed and continued to struggle with addiction. Hilliard lost contact with Huey Newton.
Newton was murdered during a drug deal on August 22, 1989.
Hilliard gave his eulogy.
Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation
With Huey Newton's second wife, Fredrika Newton, Hilliard later formed the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation.
The mission of this organization is "to preserve and promulgate the history, ideals and legacy of the Black Panther Party and its founder Huey P. Newton through development and distribution of educational materials, establishment of educational conferences and forums, maintenance and exhibition of historical archives."
References
Bibliography
*''Black Panthers Speak'', Philip Foner, ed. New York: Da Capo, 1995
970
Year 970 ( CMLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar, the 970th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' designations, the 970th year of the 1st millennium, the 70th yea ...
*''Shadow Of The Panther: Huey Newton And The Price Of Black Power In America'', Hugh Pearson, Da Capo Press, April 21, 1995; /
*David Hilliard and Lewis Cole, ''This Side of Glory''. Boston: Little, Brown, 1993;
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hilliard, David
Living people
1942 births
Members of the Black Panther Party
Place of birth missing (living people)
University of New Mexico faculty
Activists from California
PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award winners
American people convicted of assault