EAST OAKLAND GHETTO BLOOMS WITH GROWTH OF BLACK PANTHER SCHOOL

This 1976 Jet article describes the success of the Oakland Community School five years after its founding. The author juxtaposes the school with the surrounding “East Oakland ghetto,” likening it to a safe haven for the community. He describes the evolution of the Black Panther education program, which began as private homeschooling and has grown over time, gaining recognition and educational results. Photographs of engaged students and teachers in formal attire accompany the article. Elaine Brown, the school’s executive director, rejects the notion that the school is a Panther school or a liberation school, but rather argues it is a model that demonstrates the falsity of claims that poor Black children are uneducable – highlighting the failures of the public school system. Rather than teaching Panther ideology, the school aims to teach critical thinking and equip students to form their own opinions. The article also notes differences between the OCS and typical public schools, namely the student-teacher ratio and a lack of conflict between teachers and students. The author also notes the excellent manners and academic achievements of the students. In addition to teaching, the school provides three meals a day, field trips, and medical care, all free of charge.