Description

Price joined the Black Panther Party when he was 17 in 1967 during a recruitment campaign. He was told that people from Oakland were in San Diego trying to convince universities to open up to "people of color." He met one of the founders of the San Diego Panthers, Kenny Denmon, whom Price describes as "a mentor to the black community," who was "sharp," "wise," and well connected. Price says the "historical segments" of the Panthers started with fighting with the universities, fighting with the police. The police, he says, "feared the message" that people are equal in the eyes of the law. Phase 3 was the intervention of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI, starting with the use of provocateurs and informants and turning violent in Phase 4. In Phase 5, it seemed as if everyone was against them. The San Diego Police Department put informants and agents "everywhere." he says. Price says the Panthers made what the police did public--including intimidation and threatening families, as well as beatings administered in a "lumberyard." The Panthers were called "The party of self defense" because they reserved the right to defend themselves. Price says that the phrase "little Mississippi" meant that there were places in San Diego where "blacks were not welcome." "Black entrepreneurs and businessmen" made their own spaces since they were not welcome at the US Grant or the El Cortez hotels, for instance. Fred Hampton was able "to break walls down" between communities, pointing out that people had the same needs and wants. Price worked in different California communities in different programs, including security. "We're American citizens," Price says, and if people on the "right wing" say that they are "enemies of the state," he protests, "How can I be an enemy to myself?" "We're in a very, very desperate time" with "a lot of anxiety, a lot of distrust," he says. Starting in 1966, "What we wrote in that 10-point platform and program is exactly what's going on right now," he states. As a final message, Price is "so proud of this generation." "They're stronger in the form of being analytical, both on a social and political level." He adds, "They're the ones who are going to decide whether we continue to suffer." These interviews were inspired by the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Black Panther Party in 2016.