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The free breakfast for children program - a thread
Disclaimer: The original source comes from https://www.history.com"> https://www.history.com âș news For this thread, phrases will be simplified and re-written to help develop the context. I have also done my own research based on this. If there is any points that I have missed out please do let me know.
In 1969, the black panthers had a variety of community programmes to help the disadvantaged black individuals living in areas that were known for its racism. One of these were the free breakfast for children program, addressing food injustice.
The main purpose for this was to help these young children gain better nutrition that they needed, as the lack of nutrition meant the lack of energy these children gained, which prevents them from doing their day to day schoolwork. Many of these children being a part
Of this program didnât even have breakfast at all. The program first began on January, 1969, at an Episcopal church in Oakland. Within weeks, it had managed to create such a positive impact: hundreds to thousands of kids were being fed daily to help their nutritional diet
With the food being sent free of charge for the easy benefit for these children. Ruth Beckford, a social activist, mentioned how the children were healthy âand werenât complaining of stomach cramps or feeling tired.â This shows how much of a great influence this program
Placed for these young students, seeing as how it was a fuel of revolution for black peoplesâ survival within the unequal society they lived in at the time. It was a sign of prosperity and charity that these indidvuals of the black panther party had managed to do.
It is also a way of removing the negative stereotypes that the black panther party would be seen at the time from the general public. Unfortunately, their are indidvuals at the time that despised such acts like these. FBI agent J. Edgar Hoover loathed the black panther
Party since itâs start. In his eyes, he thought that these programmes being held as a âthreat towards authoritiesâ, who at the time were trying to neutralise the BPP. Due to this belief, he declared war against them
The results were devestating: FBI agents went door to door in cities like Richmond, telling parents on how the BPP is teaching kids racism. It would soon be enough that they would also invade these food programmes, even whisky soem were still up and running. They would
Then spread around false rumours towards the public of the food being contaminated and disease ridden, afterwards destroying everything that was left for the programme. One female panther told historical Nik Hynan on how they would âmash and urinate all over the foodâ
After such efforts were made to try and destroy the BPP, the BPP decided to break up the program, in order to avoid such atrocities. However, because of its impact on helping to feed young students for school, it placed pressure on political leaders to do the same
For majority (if not all) of the young students in America. Thus, it resulted to thousands of children being accustomed to free breakfast, the numbers growing rapidly, as well as the government setting up their own programs for this.
After the BPPâs program was dismantled in the 1970âs, school breakfast programmes were permanently authorised in 1975, after the USDA piloted the free breakfast programme, and its efforts. Today, it now helps to feed over 14.57 million children before school.
Itâs beneficial enough to state how the BPP were the first group to help jump-start the campaign of free breakfast programmes, despite the struggles they faced for it to be discontinued. Without it, none of this could of ever happened
EDIT: so Iâm not sure why the link wonât send directly towards to page for the source. So it would be a better option to search it up
