Urchin Society: America's Gift to Urban America

Exclusive Book Preview with "Black Panther Cub" Alprentice David Emory Davis

Always one to explore history, I jumped at the chance to interview Alprentice David Emory Davis. Mr. Davis' Father was intricately involved in implementing the Black Panther Party's doctrine in Queens, New York. In fact, both his Mother and Father were hard core members, of this mostly controversial organization. Mr. Davis' legacy includes a Father who served as the point person for the Black Panther Panther, managing the entire east coast of the United States.

Prior to sitting down with Mr. Davis, my impression of The Black Panthers, was that they were a radical militant group targeted by J.Edgar Hoover for neutralized via a Counter Intelligence Program, also known as "COINTELPRO." What I didn't know very much about was Panther members providing community services like food kitchens, security protection against the criminal elements of their urban community and the doctrine of self reliance.

According to various accounts, in early 1969, key members of the Black Panther Party were targeted for assassinations, frame-ups, imprisonments and public vilification. Some of the assassinated leaders included Fred Hampton, Mark Clark and Zayd Shakur. Those imprisoned for life included; Geronimo Ji Jaga Pratt, Mumia Abu Jamal and Marshall Eddie Conway. As history would later account, this time period in American History included friends, families and foes - that tell stories like "suborning of perjury, harassing and intimidating of witnesses and withholding of exculpatory evidence as extra-legal measures" of COINTELPRO.

As I sat down with Mr. Davis, my question was, why release such a book right now. His answer; "this is not a Black Panther book it is an attempt to showcase those children of The Black Panther Party or the Panther Cubs as we were called."