revolutionary action movement (ram) - Michael Schwartz Library

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the Panthers were purged from the party in late 1.969 .
Though Stokely resigned
from the Party, it came at a time when his faction was purged for
being 'cultural
nationalists .'
RAM in
adventurism .
1968 criticized the emerging Black Panther Party for left wing
RAM stated that the open display of guns violated the basic
principles of people's secrecy ; and that people's forces in order in to be
successful, must have the element of surprise .
Huey Newton disagreed with
RAM's analysis and wrote :
Early in the development of the Black Panther Party, I wrote an
essay titled, "The Correct Handling of a Revolution ." This was
in response to another contradiction--the criticism raised
against the party by the Revolutionary Action Movement (RAM) .
At that time RAM criticizes us for our above ground action--
openly displaying weapons and talking about the necessity for
the community to arm itself for its own self-defense . RAM said
that they were under round and saw this as the correct way to
handle a revolution . 24
The Panthers, led
basically by Cleaver, made alliances with white
left groups such as SDS and the Peace and Freedom Party . Cleaver was the
P & F Party's candidate for President in 1968 .
Dissolution of RAM
By the summer of 1968, some RAM organizers were back on the streets .
RAM and the Black Guards especially had grown into a mass organization .
The issue that arose within the ranks was how to survive the pending re
pression against the movement .
Internal contradictions began to become
prevalent as arguments over direction occurred and
some secondary cadres
began striving for personal leadership . Some made themselves generals or
regional commanders of the black nationalist army that emerged . How to
maintain discipline within a political force became a preoccupation of the
24 Charles V . Hamilton, ed . The Black Experience in American Politics
(New York : Capricorn Books, 19_7_3T, p . 237 .