A Black Panther in Africa -- a life in exile: PBS documentary

[Senior citizen]

Just got back from previewing this film at the library.

It really made me feel good to see Black activists who had not been killed, or framed and imprisoned by COINTELPRO.

Pete Oneal (spelling?) and his wife have lived in Tanzania for many years. They know they've had a better life there than they could have here.

One of the many programs they run involves bringing kids from the U.S. to experience Africa. The film showed some U.S. kids learning from the Masai which leaves are used as deodorant, and which twigs are used as toothbrushes. It is a hard life, but I had to think, although the film didn't say it, that the Masai shown had not been globalized and nobody could export their jobs.

The film will air on PBS on Sept. 26th at 10 PM in San Diego, and on Sept. 21st in most of the rest of the country--not sure what time.

For many years Pete had been trying to get his case overturned so that he could legally return to the U.S. When he learned what has happened to this country in the past few years, he decided that he never wanted to come back here, and has applied for Tanzanian citizenship.

It made me feel good to see someone who had escaped this fascist country, and I recommend the film.

[southlandshari]

1. thanks for the heads up!

VCR will be set on PBS on Sunday - sounds very interesting.

[951]

2. I'll pass

The last thing I need to see is another glorified extremist on TV bush is enough for me

[Senior citizen]

3. He was certainly an extremist.

As a ghetto kid he was a pimp (which he really regrets now), and then went on to become a VERY militant Black activist with the Panthers. There's a clip of a TV interview from that time when he says he'd like to enter Congress shooting. But he went on to concentrate on the community organizing and social welfare aspects he had learned from the Panthers, and nowadays he looks and sounds like a mellow and wise old hippy. Except when writhing in bed with periodic bouts of malaria, of course.

At the library tonight were a white couple who had spent a week with Pete and his wife in Tanzania. They said their experience was just like what was shown in the film.

For me it was an uplifting experience, something I don't get too much of these days.

[Eloriel]

4. Well, I like hearing about 60's "extremists" so

I'm happy you mentioned it. I'll look for it tomorrow. Thanks!