Why the original Black Panther Party rejects the group using its name today

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The New Black Panther Party is not a successor to the original 1960s movement. Despite sharing a name, the two groups hold fundamentally different ideologies. While the original party focused on socialist principles and human liberation, the modern organization is widely classified as a hate group by civil rights monitors.

Founded in Dallas in 1989, the New Black Panther Party (NBPP) emerged from the activities of Michael McGee Sr. in Milwaukee. Although it claims to uphold the legacy of the original Black Panther Party, foundation members and co-founders like Bobby Seale have consistently denounced the group. They argue the NBPP lacks legitimacy and exploits a historic name to promote concepts that contradict the original party’s revolutionary principles, which were rooted in love for black people rather than hatred of others.

The ideological shift is stark. While the original Panthers were influenced by Marxism and Maoism, the NBPP promotes the Kawaida theory and an extremist form of black nationalism. Under leaders like Khalid Abdul Muhammad and Malik Zulu Shabazz, the group moved toward racial segregationism and anti-semitism. The Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League classify the organization as a black separatist hate group, citing rhetoric that has included advocacy for the killing of white people and Jews.

The group has frequently courted controversy through high-profile, confrontational events. In 1998, Khalid Abdul Muhammad organized the Million Youth March in Harlem, and in 2008, members were involved in a voter intimidation incident in Philadelphia that led to a Department of Justice civil suit. Internal stability has also been elusive; in 2013, a leadership dispute between Malik Zulu Shabazz and Krystal Muhammad resulted in a schism, splitting the organization into competing factions. Despite legal attempts by original party members to prevent the NBPP from using the Panther name, the group continues to operate under its chosen banner.

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