John Huggins
Encyclopedia
John Huggins was an American
civil rights
activist and leader in the Los Angeles
chapter of the Black Panther Party
.
where he attended Hopkins School
, although ultimately left and graduated from James Hillhouse High School. He was briefly enlisted in the United States Navy
before attending Lincoln University
in Chester County
,Pennsylvania, where he met his wife Ericka Huggins. They moved together to Los Angeles
and both became deeply involved in the Black Panther Party. They had one child Mai Huggins.
Huggins and fellow Party leader Bunchy Carter
were gunned down by members of the US Organization during a 1969 meeting at UCLA. In 1971, documentation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
's counterintelligence program, COINTELPRO
, came to light, revealing that the tensions that existed between the Panthers and the US Organization were intentionally created, or at least aggravated, by the FBI. An FBI memo dated November 29, 1968 described a letter that the Los Angeles FBI office intended to mail to the Black Panther Party office. This letter, which was made to appear as if it had come from the US Organization, described fictitious plans by US to ambush BPP members. The FBI memo stated that "It is hoped this counterintelligence measure will result in an 'US' and BPP vendetta."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
activist and leader in the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
chapter of the Black Panther Party
Black Panther Party
The Black Panther Party wasan African-American revolutionary leftist organization. It was active in the United States from 1966 until 1982....
.
Biography
John Huggins was born in New Haven, ConnecticutConnecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
where he attended Hopkins School
Hopkins School
The Hopkins School is a private, college-preparatory, coeducational day school, located in New Haven, Connecticut....
, although ultimately left and graduated from James Hillhouse High School. He was briefly enlisted in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
before attending Lincoln University
Lincoln University (Pennsylvania)
Lincoln University is the United States' first degree-granting historically black university. It is located near the town of Oxford in southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. The university also hosts a Center for Graduate Studies in the City of Philadelphia. Lincoln University provides...
in Chester County
Chester County, Pennsylvania
-State parks:*French Creek State Park*Marsh Creek State Park*White Clay Creek Preserve-Demographics:As of the 2010 census, the county was 85.5% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 1.8% were two or more races, and 2.4% were...
,Pennsylvania, where he met his wife Ericka Huggins. They moved together to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and both became deeply involved in the Black Panther Party. They had one child Mai Huggins.
Huggins and fellow Party leader Bunchy Carter
Bunchy Carter
Alprentice "Bunchy" Carter was an African American activist who was killed on January 17, 1969. He is celebrated by his supporters as a martyr in the Black Power movement in the United States.- Early history :...
were gunned down by members of the US Organization during a 1969 meeting at UCLA. In 1971, documentation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
's counterintelligence program, COINTELPRO
COINTELPRO
COINTELPRO was a series of covert, and often illegal, projects conducted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation aimed at surveilling, infiltrating, discrediting, and disrupting domestic political organizations.COINTELPRO tactics included discrediting targets through psychological...
, came to light, revealing that the tensions that existed between the Panthers and the US Organization were intentionally created, or at least aggravated, by the FBI. An FBI memo dated November 29, 1968 described a letter that the Los Angeles FBI office intended to mail to the Black Panther Party office. This letter, which was made to appear as if it had come from the US Organization, described fictitious plans by US to ambush BPP members. The FBI memo stated that "It is hoped this counterintelligence measure will result in an 'US' and BPP vendetta."
External links
- Children of the Revolutionary LA Weekly feature on the 1969 UCLA shootout that killed John Huggins and Bunchy Carter.