Huey Newton

There's no reason for the establishment to fear me. But it has every right to fear the people collectively - I am one with the people.

Those in the community who defy authority and 'break the law' seem to enjoy the good life and have everything in the way of material possessions. On the other hand, people who work hard and struggle and suffer much are the victims of greed and indifference, losers. This insane reversal of values presses heavily on the Black community. The causes originate from outside and are imposed by a system that ruthlessly seeks its own rewards, no matter what the cost in wrecked human lives.

There will be no prison which can hold our movement down.

I expected to die. At no time before the trial did I expect to escape with my life. Yet being executed in the gas chamber did not necessarily mean defeat. It could be one more step to bring the community to a higher level of consciousness.

By surrendering my life to the revolution, I found eternal life

But before we die, how shall we live? I say with hope and dignity; and if premature death is the result, that death has a meaning reactionary suicide can never have. It is the price of self-respect.

Youths are passed through schools that don’t teach, then forced to search for jobs that don’t exist and finally left stranded in the street to stare at the glamorous lives advertised around them.

Black men and women who refuse to live under oppression are dangerous to white society because they become symbols of hope to their brothers and sisters, inspiring them to follow their example.

Laws should be made to serve the people. People should not be made to serve the laws.

Power is the ability to define phenomena, and make it act in a desired manner.

I have the people behind me and the people are my strength.

Existence is violent, I exist, therefore I'm violent. . . in that way.

We have two evils to fight, capitalism and racism. We must destroy both racism and capitalism.

IQ tests are routinely used as weapons against Black people in particular and minority groups and poor people generally. The tests are based on white middle-class standards, and when we score low on them, the results are used to justify the prejudice that we are inferior and unintelligent. Since we are taught to believe that the tests are infallible, they have become a self-fulfilling prophecy that cuts off our initiative and brainwashes us.

White America has seen to it that Black history has been suppressed in schools and in American history books. The bravery of hundreds of our ancestors who took part in slave rebellions has been lost in the mists of time, since plantation owners did their best to prevent any written accounts of uprisings.

You can kill my body, and you can take my life but you can never kill my soul. My soul will live forever!

Sometimes if you want to get rid of the gun, you have to pick the gun up.

My fear was not of death itself, but a death without meaning.

Black Power is giving power to people who have not had power to determine their destiny.