Abstract
After his release from prison, Huey P. Newton wrote his memoir, fleshing out in its pages his thoughts on the Black experience of state violence through the term, “Revolutionary Suicide.” 1 Newton borrowed heavily on the ideas of Herbert Hendin, a psychologist and expert in suicide. Hendin argued that African Americans were more prone to suicide. 2 For Newton, this predilection reflected harsh realities that Black people, especially Black men, had to confront. Lack of economic opportunity and the daily violence of poverty and racial discrimination took a toll on the mental health of their communities. 3 In creating the Panther conception of “Revolutionary Suicide,” Newton drew on his own personal experiences with law enforcement as well as the experiences of many members of the Black Panther Party. He theorized that it would be better to die with purpose, fighting the causes of Black oppression, like police brutality, than to die as a “reaction” to the harsh realities of inequality in America. Newton defined “Revolutionary Suicide” as fundamentally hopeful and desirous of life while accepting the possibility of death with meaning. 4
Published Version
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