Patriot Party (1960s-1980s)
Encyclopedia
The Patriot Party was an American
socialist organization of the late 1960s and early 1970s that organized poor, rural whites in the Appalachian South and Pacific Northwest
. The party was formed after a split with the Young Patriots Organization
. The YPO was an urban street gang of Appalachian whites in the Uptown
neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois; it became politicized after working with the Young Lords
, an ethnic Puerto Rican
gang; and the African-American Black Panther Party
.
The Patriot Party was a member of the original Rainbow Coalition
, formed by Fred Hampton of the Black Panther Party
and others to create a broad-based, multi-racial political coalition. It formed after the United Front Against Fascism conference held in Oakland
, California
in 1969. The coalition included the Young Lords, the Brown Berets
and I Wor Kuen
. Hampton's intention was to have multi-ethnic gangs working together to accomplish peaceful solutions, rather than battling each other.
The Patriot Party borrowed strategies of community organizing from the Black Panthers, with whom they were especially close. For instance, they established a Free Breakfast for Children
program. The Eugene
, Oregon
chapter, location of the University of Oregon
, garnered much community support with their "Free Lumber" program. At this time in the Northwest, some poor people still relied on wood-stoves for cooking and heating, and cheap wood was hard to come by.
In 1970 the FBI arrested the entire central committee of the Patriot Party and charged them with various felonies. They later dropped the charges but, by the mid-1970s, the FBI's COINTELPRO
program had effectively suppressed the organization.
In 1982 the civil rights
activist Jesse Jackson
adopted the name of "Rainbow Coalition" for organizing multi-ethic groups to support and vote for liberal
(generally Democratic) candidates for public office, in order to strengthen minority voices by acting in collaboration.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
socialist organization of the late 1960s and early 1970s that organized poor, rural whites in the Appalachian South and Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
. The party was formed after a split with the Young Patriots Organization
Young Patriots Organization
The Young Patriots Organization was an American left-wing organization of the 1960s and 70s. Growing out of an SDS project called JOIN , its first leader was Doug "Youngblood" Blakey, the son of Peggy Terry. It was later led by Jack "Junebug" Boykin, and then, William "Preacherman" Fesperman...
. The YPO was an urban street gang of Appalachian whites in the Uptown
Uptown, Chicago
Uptown is one of Chicago’s 77 community areas. Uptown has well defined boundaries. They are: Foster on the north; Lake Michigan on the east; Montrose , and Irving Park on the south; Ravenswood , and Clark on the west. Uptown borders three community areas and Lake Michigan...
neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois; it became politicized after working with the Young Lords
Young Lords
The Young Lords, later Young Lords Organization and in New York , Young Lords Party, was a Puerto Rican nationalist group in several United States cities, notably New York City and Chicago.-Founding:...
, an ethnic Puerto Rican
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
gang; and the African-American Black Panther Party
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party wasan African-American revolutionary leftist organization. It was active in the United States from 1966 until 1982....
.
The Patriot Party was a member of the original Rainbow Coalition
Rainbow Coalition (Fred Hampton)
The Rainbow Coalition was a coalition active in the late 1960s and early 1970s, founded in Chicago, Illinois by Fred Hampton of the activist Black Panther Party, along with William "Preacherman" Fesperman of the Young Patriots Organization and Jose Jimenez, the Puerto Rican founder of the Young...
, formed by Fred Hampton of the Black Panther Party
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party wasan African-American revolutionary leftist organization. It was active in the United States from 1966 until 1982....
and others to create a broad-based, multi-racial political coalition. It formed after the United Front Against Fascism conference held in Oakland
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1969. The coalition included the Young Lords, the Brown Berets
Brown Berets
The Brown Berets is a Chicano nationalist activist group of young Mexican Americans that emerged during the Chicano Movement in the late 1960s and remains active to the present day. The group was seen as part of the Third Movement for Liberation. The Brown Berets focus on community organizing...
and I Wor Kuen
I Wor Kuen
The I Wor Kuen were a radical Asian American group originally based in New York City named after the Boxers and influenced by the Black Panther Party and the Young Lords Party...
. Hampton's intention was to have multi-ethnic gangs working together to accomplish peaceful solutions, rather than battling each other.
The Patriot Party borrowed strategies of community organizing from the Black Panthers, with whom they were especially close. For instance, they established a Free Breakfast for Children
Free Breakfast for Children
In January, 1969, the Free Breakfast for School Children Program was initiated at St. Augustine's Church in Oakland by the Black Panther Party. The Panthers would cook and serve food to the poor inner city youth of the area. Initially run out of a St...
program. The Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
chapter, location of the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
, garnered much community support with their "Free Lumber" program. At this time in the Northwest, some poor people still relied on wood-stoves for cooking and heating, and cheap wood was hard to come by.
In 1970 the FBI arrested the entire central committee of the Patriot Party and charged them with various felonies. They later dropped the charges but, by the mid-1970s, the FBI's COINTELPRO
COINTELPRO
COINTELPRO was a series of covert, and often illegal, projects conducted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation aimed at surveilling, infiltrating, discrediting, and disrupting domestic political organizations.COINTELPRO tactics included discrediting targets through psychological...
program had effectively suppressed the organization.
In 1982 the civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
activist Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
adopted the name of "Rainbow Coalition" for organizing multi-ethic groups to support and vote for liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
(generally Democratic) candidates for public office, in order to strengthen minority voices by acting in collaboration.