Eldridge Cleaver at California Hall

Black Panther Party Minister of Information Eldridge Cleaver speaks at a meeting sponsored by the Eldridge Cleaver Defense Committee on November 21, 1968. Cleaver speaks on his experiences with the prison system in California, and on the Panthers’ efforts to gain political recognition. Originally scheduled at the Hall of Flowers in Golden Gate Park, the group’s permit was canceled by city officials, and the meeting was finally held at California Hall in San Francisco. Cleaver is introduced by British civil rights activist Jessica Mitford. On November 26, 1968, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall refused to extend Eldridge Cleaver’s liberty pending his upcoming trial, and his parole was technically reinstated as of November 27th, 1968. He failed to surrender himself on that date. This is the last speech he made prior to his disappearance. Contains sensitive language.