January 17, 1969: The day of UCLA's introduction to Kwanzaa

When "gunfire erupted in Campbell Hall."

Yes!

That day!

When college Professor Ron Kwanzaa Karenga's pet killers dealt real - life Kwanzaa ...

to their Black Panther rivals at UCLA, no less!

Big time!


Adapted, in effect, from two sources - in - one.

The first is Linda Chavez's An Unlikely Conservative (pages 70 - 71 ).

And the second is Elaine Brown's A Taste of Power: A Black Woman's Story.

"A little more than a year before I arrived on campus, on January 17, 1969, gunfire erupted in Campbell Hall, which housed the administrative offices and classrooms of UCLA's High Potential Program.

"UCLA had set up a special program for young black and brown men coming out of prison, admitting dozens of felons as college students.

"But earning a GED behind bars hadn't necessarily turned some of these ex - cons into model citizens, and the mix of criminal element and radical politics on campus predictably turned bloody.

"Two brothers, G.P. and L.J. Stiner, both ex - cons and members of a black nationalist group on campus known as the United Slaves, or simply US, shot and killed John Huggins and Alprentice Bunchy Carter, UCLA students and local Black Panther leaders.

"The fight broke out after a meeting of the Black Student Union to discuss the selection of a director for the newly established Black Studies Department.

"The black nationalist US members dressed in dashikis and shaved their heads in imitation of their leader Ron Karenga -- a college professor best known for having invented the pseudo - African holiday Kwanzaa, celebrated today by many blacks in December.

"The Panthers wore paramilitary uniforms, black leather jackets, and berets and had close ties to predominantly white radical groups, which was anathema to the ultra - nationalist US members.

""The Panthers were largely a Northern California phenomenon, and Karenga's local US thugs didn't want these interlopers invading their territory -- especially when the Panthers tried to hone in on the protection racket US had going with the university."

In order to stave off unrest on the UCLA campus ...

"In order to stave off unrest on the UCLA campus, the university administration had decided to establish a multi - hundred - thousand - dollar Black Studies program, which US and Karenga controlled.

"But the Panthers were fomenting dissent among the BSU members to pick their own leaders.

"In the meeting that sparked the bloodbath in Campbell Hall, the BSU voted to establish a committee to negotiate with the university over who would direct the program, rather than giving the job to Karenga's hand - picked candidate.

"The United Slaves and the Black Panthers settled the matter as gangs usually do: through the barrel of a gun, and in this case several guns, including a sawed - off shotgun, a 9 mm Browning, and a .44 magnum, all of which Elaine Brown described as being present in Campbell Hall on January 17, 1969,,,"