Newton Biography

Huey P. Newton was born in Monroe Louisiana on February 17, 1942 to Walter and Amelia Newton. His namesake was Huey P. Long, the former Louisiana governor and senator who had instituted various social reforms beneficial to blacks. Despite Long’s attempts at overturning the prejudicial landscape of post reconstruction South, Louisiana remained an oppressive place for blacks. As a result, two years after Huey was born the elder Newton moved his family to Oakland, California in search of a job and better living conditions. As he grew older, Huey found it hard to resist the attraction of Oakland’s seductive street life. He spent much time playing the dozens, shooting dice, and pitching pennies, as well as committing small-time crimes like stealing from parking meters. Though the family’s move had been prompted by the search for a better life than Louisiana could offer, Oakland did not provide any respite for racism, and Huey was very aware of its rampancy. In school, white staff and students would often call blacks “niggers” and Huey was constantly in trouble because of his refusal to submit to them. (to be continued. . .)

“My parents taught me to be unafraid of life and therefore unafraid of death. They were both very much involved in the NAACP through their church. My father was in fact a man of the church. Small man, wasn't very tall, but whenever he stood up in that pulpit on Sunday morning, he was the tallest man in the world to me. Hardworking man - he worked three or four jobs simultaneously to support us. He had to - there were seven children in the family - I'm the youngest one of seven. We were poor, of course I didn't know what that meant at the time, all I knew was that my father was away from home quite often and I resented him for that at that time. But now I realize that he did it because he loved us and we did love him in return even though he was what you might a call a benevolent tyrant - there was only one way of doing anything in this wide world and that was always my daddy's way.”

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