February 23, 2025
The 2025 Black History Month (BHM) theme is “African Americans and Labor.” It is impossible to honor this theme without acknowledging the tremendous labors of the Black Panther Party (BPP)—a group that elevated, motivated, and transformed Black people while improving conditions for humanity.
Why Address Mayor Cantrell and the City Council?
The 2025 BHM theme prompts this examination of your labor as city leaders.
On September 11, 2023, Mayor Cantrell selected Anne Kirkpatrick as Superintendent of Police for the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD). During her confirmation hearings, Kirkpatrick was asked about cultural competency. She responded that she would “respect the culture and traditions.”
Her September appointment coincided with a historic event in New Orleans’ past. September is the month when NOPD violently ambushed the BPP headquarters.
The 1970 NOPD Attack on the Black Panther Party
During the September 15, 1970 attack, BPP members suffered injuries, and a young, unarmed resident of the Desire Housing Project was killed. The police arrested BPP members, held them on death row for over a year, and brought them to trial.
Thanks to the brilliant legal defense of Louisiana attorney Ernest Jones, a New Orleans jury found BPP members NOT GUILTY.
NOPD’s Continued Assault on the Black Panther Party
Eager to avoid another courtroom embarrassment, prosecutors dropped the case for the second NOPD ambush in November 1970. Later, a Louisiana appellate court revealed that an NOPD officer lied to obtain the warrant for that second raid. This means NOPD violated the U.S. Constitution by acting without probable cause.
BPP members in Louisiana faced constant harassment, wrongful arrests, excessive force, and over-sentencing. Even after the chapter’s neutralization, the NOPD’s violent legacy continued.
The Brutal Torture of Harold Taylor
BPP member Harold Taylor was arrested in New Orleans in connection with a San Francisco investigation. NOPD officers tortured him.
- They handcuffed him to a chair, spat on him, and brutalized him.
- They placed a cattle prod on his genitals and up his rectum.
- They covered his head with a plastic bag, threw a scalding hot blanket over him, and beat him.
After enduring this inhumane torture, Taylor finally gave the false confession they demanded. In 1975, a federal court in San Francisco suppressed the confession, ruling it unconstitutional.
Your Proclamations Acknowledging Past Wrongs
We commend Mayor Cantrell and the City Council of New Orleans for recognizing the courage and sacrifice of BPP members. You issued proclamations that:
- Paid tribute to the BPP for their contributions.
- Condemned the injustice against Kenneth Borden, the unarmed youth killed by NOPD during the September 15, 1970 attack.
History will judge you favorably for using your leadership to acknowledge these injustices.
Kirkpatrick’s Failure to Lead and Acknowledge History
When asked to be a leader and agent of healing, Superintendent Kirkpatrick failed.
She ignored examples set by other law enforcement leaders:
- LaGrange Police Chief Louis M. Dekmar issued an apology for the lynching of 16-year-old Austin Callaway 77 years later, stating:
“I sincerely regret and denounce the role our police department played in Austin’s lynching, both through our action and inaction…. And for that, I’m profoundly sorry. It should never have happened.” - Terrence Cunningham, President of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, publicly apologized to communities of color for their “historic mistreatment” by law enforcement.
Kirkpatrick’s Refusal to Acknowledge NOPD’s Wrongs
In 2024, we requested that Kirkpatrick formally acknowledge and apologize for the NOPD’s violence against the BPP in the 1970s.
She refused to:
- Engage in a single conversation about the matter.
- Offer a formal acknowledgment or resolution.
- Recognize the clear misconduct of NOPD officers.
Instead, she justified her refusal based on one officer’s account and a California BPP case unrelated to New Orleans. Even in that case, a jury refused to convict the accused BPP member.
Why Kirkpatrick’s Actions Are Dangerous
By refusing to acknowledge the historical abuses of NOPD, Kirkpatrick:
- Disregards the rule of law.
- Shows a lack of leadership.
- Ignores best practices in law enforcement.
- Undermines the consent decree.
- Violates her duties as Superintendent of Police.
The Black Panther Party’s Legacy of Labor—Will You Step Up?
BPP members worked without pay from dawn to night, risking their lives to fight injustice.
They saw what needed to change—and they labored for it.
Will you?
Onward for His Glory,
Louisiana Alumni Chapter of the BPP (LACBPP)
LACPP Narrative Change Committee