▁him ▁by ▁a ▁white ▁commun ist ▁friend , ▁Mark ▁Hans on . ▁He ▁became ▁affili ated ▁with ▁the ▁Congress ▁of ▁Ra cial ▁Equ ality , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁and ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁he ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁series ▁of ▁protest s ▁directed ▁against ▁the ▁Bank ▁of ▁America , ▁San ▁Francisco ▁hot els , ▁r ental ▁ag encies ▁and ▁the ▁autom obile ▁industry , ▁who ▁were ▁disc rimin ating ▁against ▁African - Amer icans . ▁ ▁C ox ▁joined ▁the ▁Oak land , ▁California - based ▁Black ▁Pan thers ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁a ▁civil ian - sh oot ing - by - pol ice ▁incident ▁in ▁the ▁Hun ters ▁Point ▁section ▁of ▁San ▁Francisco ▁a ▁year ▁earlier . ▁Al ong ▁with ▁E ld ridge ▁Cle aver , ▁H ue y ▁P . ▁Newton ▁and ▁Bobby ▁Se ale ▁and ▁others , ▁C ox ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁" central ▁committee " ▁of ▁the ▁Pan thers . ▁Initial ly ▁C ox ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁a ▁formal ▁title ▁within ▁the ▁Black ▁Pan ther ▁group , ▁but ▁his ▁role ▁was ▁understood ▁to ▁relate ▁to ▁the ▁usage ▁of ▁fire ar ms . ▁C ox ▁had ▁been ▁taught ▁to ▁use ▁fire ar ms ▁and ▁h unt ▁during ▁his ▁up br ing ing ▁in ▁Missouri , ▁and ▁as ▁such ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁train ▁other ▁fellow ▁members ▁in ▁proper ▁usage ▁of ▁a ▁weapon . ▁C ox ▁was ▁also ▁far ▁more ▁aware ▁than ▁fellow ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁laws ▁regarding ▁fire