y, what they believed. For each point under "What We Want", there was a corresponding point for "What We Believe". (See Abstract 1) They summarized their demands in the final point of their platform: "We want land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice, and peace." (Black Panther Party, 1995)
             The BPP affirmed the right of blacks to use violence to defend themselves and as a result became an alternative to more moderate civil rights groups. Their militancy quickly attracted the support of many black residents of Oakland. Newton, who had studied law, objected strongly when police engaged in brutality, conducted illegal searches, and otherwise violated the civil rights of black citizens.
             The BPP combined elements of socialism and Black Nationalism, insisting that if businesses and the government did not provide for full employment, the community should take over the means of production. (Myers, 1999) It promoted development of strong black-controlled institutions, calling for blacks to work together to protect their rights and to improve their economic and social conditions. The BPP also emphasized class unity, criticizing the black middle class for acting against the interest of other, less fortunate blacks. The BPP welcomed alliances with white activists such as the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and later the Weather Underground. (Myers, 1999) The reason for these alliances was that these organizations believed that all revolutionaries that wanted to change the American society should unite across racial lines. This position differed from those taken by many black organizations of the late 1960's, such as the Student Non-Violent Coordinating !
             Committee (SNCC), which excluded white members after 1966. (Myers, 1999)
             Conflicts between Black Panthers and police in the late 1960's and early 1970's led to shoot-ou
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