1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Black Panther Party National Historical Park Act . 2. Findings Congress finds as follows: (1) The Black Panther Party was an integral part of the civil rights movement and its history and influence is nationally significant. (2) The United States government has not provided a publicly accessible space to learn about the history of the Black Panther Party and their contributions to social progress nationwide. (3) National Park Service has the opportunity to engage with a large new audience and tell a more holistic history of the United States by interpreting the histories of people of color. (4) The Black Panther Party, originally called the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, was established in Oakland, California in 1966 by Huey P. Newton (Minister of Defense from 1966–1981) and Bobby Seale (Chairman of the Black Panther Party from 1966–1974), who met at Merritt College in Oakland. Oakland, California, was the home of the Black Panther Party, which came to include more than forty chapters around the United States and numerous others elsewhere in the world. (5) The Black Panther Party was founded in Oakland, California, to address systemic poverty and protect the Black community from police brutality. Although they intended on being a local organization, communities across the country were empowered by their message and services, leading to the establishment of over 40 chapters across the United States and many multi-racial and class coalitions. (6) DeFremery Park is perhaps Oakland’s best known site for many of the Black Panther Party’s free community programs, political demonstrations, rallies, and fundraisers. Panthers and community members continue to hold a myriad of programs and direct services at DeFremery Park to commemorate this legacy. (7) In 1973, the Black Panther Party established the Oakland Community School, an elementary school that took a holistic approach to education, centered around Black history, encouraged civic participation, fed students, and