I saw the film last year at a special showing in Oakland, and Smith's
portrayal of Huey was remarkable, if romanticized. However, one's
opinion of Newton depended on what one knew of him and the role he
played both in building and later destroying the Panthers and their
legacy, which folks like David Horowitz and Kate Coleman, among others,
have capitalized on. It is not, however, to be confused with a true
history of the BPP.
Jeff Blankfort
John Johnson wrote:
> For those that didn't catch the Spike Lee production of the play "A Huey P
> Newton Story' on PBS tonight, it certainly was well worth the viewing.
> Appropriately entitled "A ....Story" meaning is just one playwrights and
> actors take on Huey, it was reasonable accurate to the history and emotions
> of the Sixties/Panthers/ and without personally knowing him probably on
> Huey too.
>
> The struggles of a man for honesty and love in a corrupt society when he
> sees his family's constantly oppressed and beaten down, something most us
> white folks didn't have to witness so up close.
>
> Some Panthers made it out of the Sixties a bit better then Huey, most had
> their problems. They took on a role of Vanguard in a war that never broke
> though to any possible conclusion.
>
> A war that is hard to look back on, even for those that were there. Yet a
> war that seems to loam in our future as we fumble for ways to try and deal
> with it.
>
> In the end he says "don't bring me flowers after I die, bring me soup
> while Im alive".
>
> John Johnson
> Change-Links Progressive Newspaper
> change@pacbell.net or change-links@change-links.org
> http://www.change-links.org
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> ===
>
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