March 29, 2011

HARRISBURG – Robert George "Bobby" Seale, civil rights activist and co-founder of the Black Panther Party in the mid-1960s, will be at HACC’s Harrisburg Campus at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 7.

The public is invited to the free event, held in the international room of Cooper Student Center on the campus on One HACC Drive. His appearance is coordinated by the Students of Wildwood Activities Team (SWAT), Student Government Association (SGA) and the HACC-Virtual Campus.

Seale and co-founder Huey Newton were influenced by the teachings of another civil rights leader, Malcolm X. After his assassination in 1965, the two men created the Black Panther Party for Self Defense and adopted the slain activist's slogan “freedom by any means necessary” as their own. Seale served as chairman of the organization.

Seale also was one of the original "Chicago Eight" defendants charged with conspiracy and inciting to riot in the wake of the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. During the trial, one of Seale's many outbursts led the judge to have him bound and gagged, as commemorated in the song "Chicago" written by Graham Nash of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.

Seale resides in Oakland, Calif., and has written a number of books about the Black Panthers and civil rights. Seale has also taught black studies at Temple University. He is involved in an instructional, nonprofit group helping people develop the techniques and tools to establish community organizations within their neighborhoods. In 2006 Seale appeared in the documentary film “The U.S. vs John Lennon” to discuss their friendship.