Robert George Seale (born October 22, 1936^[1]) is an American engineer, political activist and author. Seale is widely known for co-founding theBlack Panther Party with fellow activistHuey P. Newton.^[2] Founded as the "Black Panther Party for Self-Defense", the Party's main practice was monitoring police activities and challenging police brutality in black communities, first inOakland, California,^[3] and later in cities throughout theUnited States.^[4]

Bobby Seale
Seale in 1971
Born	Robert George Seale (1936-10-22)October 22, 1936 (age 88) Liberty, Texas, U.S.
Education	Merritt College
Notable work	Seize the Time: The Story of the Black Panther Party and Huey P. Newton
Political party	Black Panther
Spouses	Artie McMillan ​ ​ (m. 1965;div. 1977)​ Eufrocina Icasas ​ ​ (m. 1983;div. 1985)​
Partner	Leslie Johnson (1971–present)

Seale was one of theeight people charged by the US federal government with conspiracy charges related to anti-Vietnam War protests inChicago, Illinois, during the1968 Democratic National Convention. Seale's appearance in the trial was widely publicized and Seale was bound and gagged for his appearances in court more than a month into the trial for what JudgeJulius Hoffman said were disruptions.

Seale's case was severed from the other defendants, turning the "Chicago Eight" into the "Chicago Seven". After his case was severed, the government declined to retry him on the conspiracy charges. Though he was never convicted in the case, Seale was sentenced by Judge Hoffman to four years for criminalcontempt of court. The contempt sentence was reversed on appeal.^[5]

In 1970, while in prison, Seale was charged and tried as part of theNew Haven Black Panther trials over the torture and murder ofAlex Rackley, whom the Black Panther Party had suspected of being a police informer. Panther George Sams, Jr., testified that Seale had ordered him to kill Rackley. The jury was unable to reach a verdict in Seale's trial, and the charges were eventually dropped.

Seale's books includeA Lonely Rage: The Autobiography of Bobby Seale,Seize the Time: The Story of the Black Panther Party and Huey P. Newton, andPower to the People: The World of the Black Panthers (with Stephen Shames).

Bobby Seale was born inLiberty, Texas, to George Seale, a carpenter, and Thelma Seale (née Traylor), a homemaker.^[6] The Seale family lived inpoverty during most of his early life. After moving aroundTexas, first toDallas, then toSan Antonio, andPort Arthur, Seale's family relocated toCodornices Village^[7] inAlbany, California, during theGreat Migration when he was eight years old.^[8] Seale attendedBerkeley High School, then dropped out in 1955 and joined theUnited States Air Force.^[9] Three years later, acourt martial convicted him of fighting with acommanding officer^{[citation needed]} atEllsworth Air Force Base inSouth Dakota,^[6] resulting in abad conduct discharge.^[10]

Seale subsequently worked as a sheet metal mechanic for various aerospace plants while studying for hishigh school diploma at night. "I worked in every major aircraft plant and aircraft corporation, even those with government contracts. I was a top-flight sheet-metal mechanic".^[11] After earning his high school diploma, Seale attendedMerritt Community College where he studiedengineering andpolitics until 1962.^[12]

While at college, Bobby Seale joined theAfro-American Association (AAA), a group on the campus devoted to self-education about African and African-American history, along with conversations about philosophy, religion, economics, and politics, including aspects of black separatism.^[13][14] "I wanted to be an engineer when I went to college, but I got shifted right away since I became interested in American Black History and trying to solve some of the problems."^[15] Through the AAA group, Seale metHuey P. Newton.

In June 1966, Seale began working at the North Oakland Neighborhood Anti-Poverty Center in its summer youth program. Seale's objective was to teach the youth in the program Black American History and also encourage their responsibility toward the people in their communities. While working in the program, Seale metBobby Hutton, who later became the first recruited member of theBlack Panther Party.^[16]

Seale married Artie Seale, and they had a son, Malik Nkrumah Stagolee Seale]].^[17]

Bobby Seale andHuey P. Newton were strongly inspired by the teachings of activistMalcolm X, who had beenassassinated in 1965. The two joined together in October 1966 to create theBlack Panther Party for Self-Defense, which adopted the late activist's slogan "freedom by any means necessary" as their own. Prior to starting the Black Panther Party, Seale and Newton created a group known as the Soul Students Advisory Council. The group was organized to operate through "ultra-democracy", defined as individualism manifesting itself as an aversion to discipline. "The goal was to develop a college campus group that would help develop leadership; to go back to the black community and serve the black community in a revolutionary fashion".^[18]

After the inception of Soul Students Advisory Council, Seale and Newton founded the group they are most identified with, the Black Panther Party. They wanted to organize the black community to express their desires and needs in order to resist the racism and classism perpetuated by the system. Seale described the Panthers as "an organization that represents black people and many white radicals relate to this and understand that the Black Panther Party is a righteous revolutionary front against this racist decadent, capitalistic system."^[19]

Seale and Newton together wrote the doctrines "What We Want Now!", which Seale said were intended to be "the practical, specific things we need and that should exist", and "What We Believe", which outlines the philosophical principles of the Black Panther Party in order to educate the people and disseminate information about the specifics of the party's platform.^[20] These writings were part of the party'sTen-Point Program. Also known as "The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense Ten-Point Platform and Program", this was a set of guidelines to the Black Panther Party's ideals and ways of operation. Seale and Newton named Newton as Minister of Defense and Seale as the Chairman of the party.^[21] During his time with the Panthers, Seale was kept under surveillance by theFederal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as part of its illegalCOINTELPRO program.^[22]

In 1968, Seale wroteSeize the Time: The Story of the Black Panther Party and Huey P. Newton (1970).^[23]

Bobby Seale was one of the original "Chicago Eight" defendants charged withconspiracy and inciting a riot in the wake of the1968 Democratic National Convention inChicago. While in prison, Seale said, "To be a Revolutionary is to be an Enemy of the state. To be arrested for this struggle is to be a Political Prisoner."^[24] The evidence against Seale was slim, as he did not participate in activist planning for the convention'sprotests and had gone to Chicago as a last-minute replacement for activistEldridge Cleaver.^[25][26] He was in Chicago for only two days of the convention.^[26]

During the trial, JudgeJulius Hoffman ordered Seale bound and gagged in the courtroom because of his outspoken objections to his personal lack of legal representation, Seale's attorney being hospitalized at the time.^[27] He was repeatedly bound and gagged for several days of the trial.^[28][29]

Though he was never convicted in the case, on November 5, 1969, Judge Hoffman sentenced Seale to four years in prison for 16 counts ofcontempt, each count for three months of imprisonment, because of his outbursts during the trial. He eventually ordered Seale severed from the case. Proceedings against the remaining defendants resulted in their being renamed the "Chicago Seven".^{[citation needed]}

While serving his four-year sentence, Seale was tried in 1970 as part of theNew Haven Black Panther trials. Several officers of the Panther organization had killed fellow Panther,Alex Rackley, who had confessed under torture to being a police informant.^[30] The leader of the murder plan,George W. Sams Jr., turned state's evidence and testified that Seale, who had visited New Haven hours before the murder, had ordered him to kill Rackley. The trials were accompanied by a large demonstration in New Haven onMay Day, 1970. This coincided with the beginning of the American collegestudent strike of 1970. The jury was unable to reach a verdict in Seale's trial, and the charges were eventually dropped. The government suspended his contempt convictions, and Seale was released from prison in 1972.^[6]

While Seale was in prison, his wife, Artie, became pregnant. Fellow Panther Fred Bennett was said to be the father. Bennett's mutilated remains were found in a suspected Panther hideout in April 1971.^[31] Seale was implicated in the murder, with police suspecting he had ordered it in retaliation for the affair, but no charges were pressed.^[32]

In 1973, Seale ran for Mayor ofOakland, California as aDemocrat.^[33][34] He received the second-most votes in a field of nine candidates^[6] but ultimately lost in a run-off with incumbent MayorJohn Reading.^[33]

In 1974, Seale and Huey Newton argued over a proposed film about the Panthers that Newton wantedBert Schneider to produce. According to several accounts, the argument escalated to a fight in which Newton, backed by his armed bodyguards, allegedly beat Seale with a bullwhip so badly that Seale required extensive medical treatment for his injuries. Afterward, he went into hiding for nearly a year, and ended his affiliation with the Party that year.^[35][36] Seale has denied that any such physical altercation took place, dismissing rumors that he and Newton were ever less than friends.^[37]

Seale worked with Huey Newton to create the Ten Point platform. It included political and social demands they believed necessary for the survival of the Black population in the United States. The two men formulated the Ten Point Platform in the late 1960s, and from these ideologies developed the Black Panther Party. The document encapsulated the economic exploitation of the black body, and addressed the mistreatment of the black race. This document was attractive to those suffering under the oppressive nature of white power. The document is based on the conclusion that a combination of racism and capitalism resulted in fascism in the United States. The Ten Point Platform lays out the need for full employment of Black people, decent shelter, and decent education. They defined decent education as the full history of the United States, including acknowledgement of the genocide and displacement of Native Americans and the enslavement of Africans. The platform calls for the release of political prisoners.

The points are as follows:^[38]

1. We Want Freedom. We Want Power To Determine The Destiny Of Our Black Community.
2. We Want Full Employment For Our People.
3. We Want An End To The Robbery By The Capitalists Of Our Black Community.
4. We Want Decent Housing Fit For The Shelter Of Human Beings.
5. We Want Education For Our People That Exposes The True Nature Of This Decadent American Society. We Want Education That Teaches Us Our True History And Our Role In The Present-Day Society.
6. We Want All Black Men To Be Exempt From Military Service.
7. We Want An Immediate End To Police Brutality And Murder Of Black People.
8. We Want Freedom For All Black Men Held In Federal, State, County And City Prisons And Jails.
9. We Want All Black People When Brought To Trial To Be Tried In Court By A Jury Of Their Peer Group Or People From Their Black Communities, As Defined By The Constitution Of The United States.
10. We Want Land, Bread, Housing, Education, Clothing, Justice And Peace.

In 1978, Seale wrote an autobiography titledA Lonely Rage. Also, in 1987, he wrote a cookbook calledBarbeque'n with Bobby Seale: Hickory & Mesquite Recipes, the proceeds going to various non-profit social organizations.^[39] Seale also advertisedBen & Jerry's ice cream.^[40]

In 1998, Seale appeared on the television documentary seriesCold War, discussing the events of the 1960s. Bobby Seale was the central protagonist alongsideKathleen Cleaver,Jamal Joseph andNile Rodgers in the 1999 theatrical documentaryPublic Enemy byJens Meurer, which premiered at theVenice Film Festival. In 2002, Seale began dedicating his time to Reach!, a group focused on youth education programs. He has also taughtblack studies atTemple University inPhiladelphia. Also in 2002, Seale moved back to Oakland, working with young political advocates to influence social change.^[1] In 2006, he appeared in the documentaryThe U.S. vs. John Lennon to discuss his friendship withJohn Lennon. Seale has also visited over 500 colleges to share his personal experiences as a Black Panther and to give advice to students interested in community organizing and social justice.^{[citation needed]}

Since 2013, Seale has been seeking to produce a screenplay he wrote based on his autobiography,Seize the Time: The Eighth Defendant.^[41][42]

Seale co-authoredPower to the People: The World of the Black Panthers, a 2016 book with photographerStephen Shames.^[43]

• In 1968, Seale was featured inAgnès Varda's documentary,Black Panthers.
• The 1971 song "Chicago" written byGraham Nash refers to Seale being bound and gagged during the trial.^[44]
• The 1973 poem and song "H2Ogate Blues" byGil Scott-Heron mentions the chaining and gagging of Seale during the trial.^[45]
• In 1987, Seale was portrayed byCarl Lumbly in theHBO television movie,Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8.
• In 1995, Seale was portrayed byCourtney B. Vance in the cinematic adaptation ofMelvin Van Peebles's novelPanther, produced and directed byMario Van Peebles.
• In 1995, Seale was mentioned inThe Simpsons episode "Mother Simpson";Mona Simpson (mother ofHomer) claims to have proofread Seale's cookbook (the abovementionedBarbeque'n with Bobby Seale).^[46]
• A character based on Seale appears inRoberto Bolaño's 2004 novel,2666.^[47]
• In 2007, Seale was voiced byJeffrey Wright in the animated documentaryChicago 10.
• In 2011, Seale was portrayed byOrlando Jones, in the television filmThe Chicago 8.
• In 2011,Kendrick Lamar mentioned Seale (along withFred Hampton and Huey Newton) in the song "HiiiPoWeR" from his debut albumSection.80.
• In 2020, Seale was portrayed byYahya Abdul-Mateen II inAaron Sorkin'sNetflix film,The Trial of the Chicago 7.
• In 2021, Seale is mentioned in the filmJudas and the Black Messiah by a policeman commenting on a drawing of him tied up at the trial.
• In 2021, Seale is mentioned in theShowtime documentaryAttica by inmates who stated he arrived during the riot but appeared disappointed Seale only stayed a few minutes.
• In 2024, Seale is portrayed by actor Jordane Christie in the television miniseriesThe Big Cigar.

• Seale, Bobby (1991) [1970].Seize the Time: The Story of The Black Panther Party and Huey P. Newton. Baltimore, Maryland:Black Classic Press.ISBN 978-0-933121-30-0.
• Seale, Bobby (1978).A Lonely Rage: The Autobiography of Bobby Seale. New York:Times Books.ISBN 978-0-812907-15-5.
• Seale, Bobby; Shames, Stephen (2016).Power to the People: The World of the Black Panthers. New York:Abrams Books.ISBN 978-1-419722-40-0.

• Edited by Mark L. Levine, George C. McNamee and Daniel Greenberg / Foreword by Aaron Sorkin.The Trial of the Chicago 7: The Official Transcript. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2020.ISBN 978-1982155094.OCLC 1162494002
• Edited with an introduction byJon Wiener.Conspiracy in the Streets: The Extraordinary Trial of the Chicago Seven. Afterword byTom Hayden and drawings byJules Feiffer. New York: The New Press, 2006.ISBN 978-1565848337
• Pearson, Hugh.The Shadow of the Panther: Huey P. Newton and the Price of Black Power in America. Addison-Wesley, 1994.ISBN 0201483416.
• Edited by Judy Clavir and John Spitzer.The Conspiracy Trial: The extended edited transcript of the trial of the Chicago Eight. Complete with motions, rulings, contempt citations, sentences and photographs. Introduction byWilliam Kunstler and foreword byLeonard Weinglass. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill Company, 1970.ISBN 0224005790.OCLC 16214206
• Schultz, John.The Conspiracy Trial of the Chicago Seven. Foreword byCarl Oglesby. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2020.ISBN 9780226760742. (Originally published in 1972 asMotion Will Be Denied.)

•   Media related toBobby Seale at Wikimedia Commons
•   Works related toBobby Seale at Wikisource
• m  Quotations related toBobby Seale at Wikiquote
• American Black Journal,interview, 1978
• Swindle,interview, 2007
• Appearances onC-SPAN