"It was yesterday right around 11:30 or 12 o'clock when I pulled up to Wendy's," said David Sluder of Southaven. We strive for accuracy and fairness. Considering MississippiMattersThatMatter to You. Did You Really See a Black Panther? The stories of black panthers have been swirling in Mississippi for as long as anyone can remember and show no sign of slowing down. The policeman who killed Hampton were acquitted in court, but members of the Black Panther Party would call it an assassination. . Published 6:18 am Friday, September 13, 2019. It was as clear as a blacktop, McLin said and leads to a 30-foot drop off of a bluff down to a creek. Rummel said. "I mean, we can't say one does not exist out there or a melanistic cougar won't turn up, but it's never happened," Rummel said. "The distance it ran in my view was maybe 40 yards. If you are a firm believer in the presence of black panthers as a species of wildlife in the woods of the Magnolia State you may not like this post. While it is not widely known, wildlife officials say that there are many exotic cats such as lions and tigers and leopards owned by private parties in Mississippi. Did You Really See a Black Panther? The Brookhaven Daily Leader reports that Bogue Chitto resident Douglas McLin said he saw a black panther on his property on Lee Drive on January 18th. The 761st commanding officer, Lt. Hanrahan was this very ambitious heir to [Chicago Mayor] Daley at the time, says Haas. Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com. Updated: March 17, 2021 | Original: April 11, 2018. panther swamp nwr buck Dave Roos is a freelance writer based in the United States and Mexico. While it was proved to be a hoax, obviously not everyone who saw it got the memo. "The one place in the Southeast we absolutely know there are panthers is south Florida and people don't talk about black panthers there," Rummel said. Hampton was this incredibly charismatic, young, dynamic leader who formed this rainbow coalition with Puerto Ricans and poor whites from Appalachia, says Jeffrey Haas, one of the founders of the Peoples Law Office in Chicago and a member of the legal team that sued the Chicago Police and the FBI over Hamptons killing. There may have been some panthers around.". WebLater in 1969, two other Black Panther members were killed and one other was wounded by US members. The Black Student Union (BSU) at UCLA was shocked and devastated by the murders. Rummel also pointed out there are populations of black bobcats in Florida and a few individuals have been documented elsewhere, but not in Mississippi. All Rights Reserved. Not only was the killing of Hampton and Clark a cold-blooded assassination of two militant Black activists, but documents later revealed it was coordinated by the FBI as part of a secret program to neutralize and destroy the Black Panther Party, which FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover privately called the greatest threat to the internal security of the country.. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. Despite that, Loy said he decided to share his experience on social media. Bears were hunted close to extinction and panthers were forced out of the state due to over hunting and habitat loss. . Jackie Robinson, whose charges for refusing to give up his seat on the military bus were eventually dropped, later noted that men of the 761st had died fighting for a country where they didnt have equal rights. Rumors of black panther sightings, stories and tales are passed around in Mississippi but the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks has never reported an official sighting. It was a woman, Loy said, and she sent back a message saying, Well, they look like cat prints to her. After his release, Carter met Huey Newton, one of the founders of the Black Panther Party, and was convinced to join the party in 1967. 5 scariest things in the Mississippi woods. Fred Hampton, a leader for the Black Panther Party in Chicago, Illinois was killed in his apartment during a police raid while sleeping, unarmed in 1968. They also began the "Free Breakfast for Children" program which provided meals to the poor in the community. Carter is portrayed by Gaius Charles in the 2015 TV series Aquarius.[2]. [Note: notwithstanding professional opinions of scientists, the writer has heard too many reports of panther sightings in Mississippi from reliable individuals to believe they are all mistaken]. Other accounts mention a heated argument between US members and Panther Elaine Brown. "I mean, I grew up here and my grandfather talked about black panthers," Rummel said. Evers was a World War II veteran who would become the Secretary of the NAACP in Mississippi helping to integrate the University of Mississippi. I'd just stepped off the porch.". A Justice Department attorney said the settlement did not concede wrongdoing. RELATED: The Top 5 Unsolved Hip-Hop Murders. Likely? I am certainly pleased to commend you and to advise you that I have approved an incentive award in the amount of $200 for your outstanding services in a matter of considerable interest to the FBI in the racial field, wrote Hoover. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. What appears to be a large cat caught on video has social media buzzing with the idea that a panther is in the state. George Stiner has not been recaptured. Loy said he had not seen anything since he took those picture that he believed to be a large cat until Saturday. Bear goes the neighborhood: Mississippi couples door video captures animals early morning ramble down residential street, Mississippi Catholic church blesses bells, lifts them high into tower in preparation for Easter celebration, Mississippi Sen. Hyde-Smith formally blocks Mississippi federal judge nomination a nomination fellow senator Roger Wicker supported, Family files lawsuit against Mississippi bar, owner of building where man was reportedly pistol-whipped, fatally shot. Civil rights activist Medgar Evers was assassinated by Byron De La Beckwith, a member of the White Citizens Council. Ballistics experts found that all but one of the bullets fired in the apartment came from police weapons in contradiction to a false report from the Chicago Polices own crime lab. It is simply beyond dispute that the scientific and historical sources are in agreement: there is no verifiable record of any black or melanistic cougar being killed or captured anywhere. MississippiMatters is a news blog of cooperative writers, videographers and podcasters published by The Well Writers Guild, a 501c3 devoted to mentoringMississippi writers and to addressinguncovered or under-covered topics. "Biologists look at it differently," Flynt said. (These charges were later dropped.) An April 6 1968, 17-year-old Bobby Hutton, the very first recruit to Oakland's Black Panther Party, was shot multiple times after he'd surrendered to the police. They were convicted for conspiracy to commit murder and two counts of second-degree murder, based on testimony given by BPP members. "We look at distinguishing characteristics to identify. The last reported black panther sighting in Mississippi came from a man in Washington, just north of Natchez, in 2019. Then there are the black panther sightings. black panther killed in mississippi. Organization Us members maintained the meeting was a spontaneous event. The genetic mutation is rare in bobcats but could be a reason behind sightings of black panthers. Patton was well known for his colorful personality and upon meeting the troops, exclaimed: Men, youre the first Negro tankers to ever fight in the American Army. It was about 4 p.m. when the big dark cat walked across a 10-foot wide lane for ATVs he had cut behind his house. He suspects it was traveling. "It was actually Sunday afternoon Sunday before last (Sept. 8)," Del Loy said. panthers Later that year, police and National Guard troops pummeled antiwar protestors outside of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window), Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window), Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window), Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window), Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window), Black Americans Who Served in WWII Faced Segregation Abroad and at Home. So what are people seeing? Happy RIM-Oween, folks! As the acting chair, Webster organized a Central Committee that interviewed and facilitated the hiring of a former Freedom Rider in Mississippi, Dr. Robert Singleton, as the Director of the Center for African American Studies. It gave me shivers. The Black Student Union (BSU) at UCLA was shocked and devastated by the murders. See our privacy policy. Others commented that Sluder had found proof of black panthers. 0:33 Black panther sightings have been reported for decades in Mississippi, but the existence of such an animal has never been confirmed. They have black jaguars in Central and South America but no black panthers. It was a large black cat. Loy said he has purchased more cameras and plans to install them to try and capture whatever it was he saw on Saturday. Leaders of the New Black Panther Party in Mississippi spoke out Tuesday against Jackson's crime crisis. While it is not widely known, wildlife officials say that there are many exotic cats such as lions and tigers and leopards owned by private parties in Mississippi. In October of 1944, the 761sttank battalionbecame the first African American tank squad to see combat inWorld War II. Mountain lions, panthers, cougars or whatever you want to call them, were extirpated in Mississippi over 100 years ago and none have been confirmed in the state since. The 1969 Raid That Killed Black Panther Leader Fred Hampton Details around the 1969 police shooting of Hampton and other Black Panther members took decades to come to light. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! WebLater in 1969, two other Black Panther members were killed and one other was wounded by US members. As the years passed, the achievements of the Black Panthers began to receive more recognition. "It's really easy to do even if you're a hunter," Rummel said. All Rights Reserved. The chair of communications, Webster He's a giant.' "When we walked up on it we realized it wasn't a big deer.". Off the pig! was one of their very provocative slogans, which to Panthers meant getting abusive police out of the community, but Im not sure the police necessarily saw it that way.. This majority-Black military unit was known by the nickname Black Panthers in reference to the the panther patches they wore on their uniforms. By: Dave Roos tennessee wraith chasers merchandise / thomas keating bayonne obituary They fought in France and Belgium, and were one of the first American battalions to meet the Russian Army in Austria. He brought his four-wheeler around the house, saw his black dog underneath his truck and pulled around to the back of the lawn mower. Carter is credited as a founding member of the Southern California chapter of the Black Panther Party. The Black Student Union (BSU) at UCLA was shocked and devastated by the murders. A longtime contributor to HowStuffWorks, Dave has also been published in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and Newsweek. bell herman jones panther killed cop killer double sues freedom pig parole he waverly gang said his who panthers officers If the FBI wanted to squelch the Black Panther extremists operating in Chicago, it saw a clear threat in the meteoric rise of Fred Hampton. This rivalry came to a head in 1969, when the two groups supported different candidates to head the Afro-American Studies Center at UCLA. It was probably 75 yards away. During the war, the 761st participated in four major Allied campaigns including the Battle of the Bulge, the last major German World War II campaign on the Western Front. mspa keynote panther scholastic mississippi jesse The group was more marginalized and officially disbanded in 1982. obama panthers byroncrawford barack spoke hannity lie sean resurrects panther senator rally still he when During the Church Committee hearings in 1975, evidence came to light that under the FBI's COINTELPRO actions, FBI agents had deliberately fanned flames of division and enmity between the BPP and Organization US. The Brookhaven Daily Leader reports that Bogue Chitto resident Douglas McLin said he saw a black panther on his property on Lee Drive on January 18th. I would never have asked for you if you werent good. The 1969 Raid That Killed Black Panther Leader Fred Hampton Details around the 1969 police shooting of Hampton and other Black Panther members took decades to come to light. With confirmed sightings so close to Mississippi, he feels finding one in Mississippi is not out of the question. Mississippi isn't unique in its claims of black panthers. However records indicate that the 761st used Sherman and Stuart tanks). You have to love your people," said Steven Harris, a member of the organization. The chapter was very successful, gaining 50100 new members each week by April 1968. Notable members included Elaine Brown and Geronimo Pratt. Larry Stiner was paroled in 2015.[3]. You can look at the erect ears. . The second was Fred Hampton, gunned down in his bed. While incarcerated Carter became influenced by the Nation of Islam and the teachings of Malcolm X, and he converted to Islam. >>https://buff.ly/2yhsQ7L Black Panther 350 lbs killed in Scott County 1958 Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. 2023 www.clarionledger.com. The position of the ears gives it away. So what did folk who say they saw a black panther see? Large black cats are not native and they've never been documented in North America. Now and forever, the truth will be known about these African Americans who gave so much that the rest of us might be free.. I took my pistol, and I of course wouldnt shoot a cat unless it threatened me. "This is not a panther or cougar or mountain lion. One woman liberated by the unit, 17-year old Sonia Schreiber Weitz, described thesoldier who saved her in the poem, The Black Messiah: A Black GI stood by the door(I never saw a Black before)Hell set me free before I die,I thought, he must be the Messiah, After the war the Army awarded the unit with four campaign ribbons. Loy said when he first moved to the property some seven years ago he saw some prints in the sand that appeared to be large cat prints and he even shared them with an official at the Mississippi Department of Wildlife Fisheries and Parks. Later in 1969, two other Black Panther members were killed and one other was wounded by US members. The chair of communications, Webster Death threats and humiliating cartoons created by the FBI were sent to each group, made to look as if they originated with the other group, with the explicit intention of inciting deadly violence and division. At 5 a.m. on Dec. 4, 1969, Chicago and states attorney police raided the headquarters of the Black Panther Party at 2337 W. Monroe St. on the West Side of the city. So, what are people actually seeing? What they accidentally uncovered was documented proof of the existence of a secret FBI scheme called COINTELPRO (Counterintelligence Program) with orders to disrupt, misdirect and otherwise neutralize Black power movements. Carter was eventually convicted of armed robbery and was imprisoned in Soledad prison for four years. ", Youth hunters: Win big with C-L Outdoors and B&B Archery. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter. Fancy "You may have one turn up. In May 1945, the Black Panthers were part of the Allied forces who liberated Gunskirchen, a subcamp of the Mauthausen concentration camp. READ MORE: How the Black Power Movement Influenced the Civil Rights Movement. When he joined the Illinois Black Panther Party in 1968, he quickly gained a reputation as a powerful speaker and a coalition builder across racial lines to fight police brutality and address poverty in Chicagos most neglected neighborhoods. Loy said he deer hunts on his property and his deer cameras have captured raccoons, bobcats and coyotes but never a cougar. There wasnt anything on it but black.. Saturday afternoon I went into my backyard, which borders the Natchez Trace in Washington, to walk the dog, and as is my custom I cast a glance toward a ridge near the tree line, Loy wrote in a social media post on Wednesday. Whether the name or the patchwhich sported the slogan Come Out Fightingcame first is anyones guess. But which is more likely: that the many persons reporting black panthers are actually seeing a color phase of the cougar that has never before been documented with physical evidence or that they were mistaken as to what they saw? Everyone has their eyes on you and is expecting great things from you Dont let them down and damn you, dont let me down!. Martin Luther King was the face and voice of the civil rights movement. Once taxonomically classified as Felis concolor, the big cat now bears the scientific name, Puma concolor. Escaped convict, James Earl Ray would confess to killing King but would later recant his confession. When crowds took to the streets after the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Chicago mayor ordered police to shoot suspected arsonists. Maybe melanistic cougars have been seen by all the folk who say they have seen black panthers. I know a cat when I see one. An April 6 1968, 17-year-old Bobby Hutton, the very first recruit to Oakland's Black Panther Party, was shot multiple times after he'd surrendered to the police. King would be shot while outside his hotel room in Memphis. It is also possible that someone has seen a black bobcat they are rare only about 14 on record in the U. S. but they do exist. One of the most damning was an FBI memo authorizing the payment of a bonus to an informant named William ONeal, a security guard for the Black Panthers who supplied the FBI with the map of the apartment. An April 6 1968, 17-year-old Bobby Hutton, the very first recruit to Oakland's Black Panther Party, was shot multiple times after he'd surrendered to the police. Details around the 1969 police shooting of Hampton and other Black Panther members took decades to come to light. "The way that Wendy's is, when you pull up and drive around and make a U-turn. While it is not widely known, wildlife officials say that there are many exotic cats such as lions and tigers and leopards owned by private parties in Mississippi. You have to love your people," said Steven Harris, a member of the organization. He saw a silhouette move through the trees and eased over to where he could see the cleared travel lane, killed the four-wheelers engine and waited. WebClipping found in Scott County Times in Forest, Mississippi on Jan 8, 1958. I have nothing but the best in my Army. To the FBI, Hampton was another potential messiah rising up through the ranks of the Black Panther Party and being groomed for national leadership. Mississippi State Extension Service Assistant Professor Leslie M. Burger wrote an article in 2016 about the history of black bears and panthers in Mississippi. It's head was small. James T. McCafferty is a lawyer and award-winning writer who grew up in the Mississippi Delta and now resides in McComb. Originally from Satsuma, Louisiana, McLin said he had hunted as long as he could shoot a gun. His people were more than willing to do this raid on the Panthers, thinking that it would build their careers.. The only problem with those is that the only truly large, wild black cats are leopards and jaguars. The violence culminated on December 4, 1969, when a 14-man team of police officers raided Hamptons apartment During a meeting of the Black Student Union at UCLA's Campbell Hall on January 17, 1969, Bunchy Carter and another BPP member named John Huggins were heard making derogatory comments about Ron Karenga, the head of Organization US. All rights reserved. Advertisement. They also pointed out some physical features did not match those of a panther. WebLater in 1969, two other Black Panther members were killed and one other was wounded by US members. "I can't unsee what I saw and I can't explain it. An altercation ensued during which Carter and Huggins were shot to death. 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