Key Lessons for Sustainable Fashion Activists from the Black Panthers' Ten-Point Program

The Black Panther Party symbolizes revolutionary activism, disrupting norms and advocating for the freedom of Black communities in the United States. Apart from their recognizable attire and symbols of resistance, the Panthers also contributes significantly to political discourse and action. While their primary focus is to challenge imperialism and racial inequality, there are important insights that present-day movements, such as sustainable fashion activism, can draw from their Ten Point Program. This blog article will delve into the Black Panthers Ten Point Program and how sustainable fashion activists can learn from its core principles.

The first point of the Black Panthers Ten Point Program is to fight for freedom, and power to determine the destiny of their community, and the belief that Black people are not free until they can self-determine their destiny. Sustainable fashion activists must also fight for freedom for oppressed people and all living things on Earth. Self-autonomy of vulnerable communities can be limited by oppressive forces and structural systems. We must work towards empowerment within the fashion industry. We can do this by fighting for equitable labor practices, collective liberation, and local community-driven initiatives prioritizing the unheard voices in fashion and the agency of garment workers and marginalized communities.

Fighting for equitable labor practices would involve advocating for fair wages, safe working conditions, and workers' rights, particularly for those in the lower tiers of the supply chain. In many regions, particularly in the Global South, garment workers—often women—are subjected to exploitative labor practices, including low wages, unsafe working conditions, and lack of job security. By challenging exploitative labor practices and demanding fair treatment, sustainable fashion activists should strive to secure garment workers the dignity and agency they deserve.

The second point of the Black Panthers Ten Point Program demands full employment for Black people, where the federal government is responsible and obligated to give every man employment or a guaranteed income. It also asserts that all American businessmen need to provide full employment opportunities. If they fail to do so, the means of production should be taken away from them and instead placed within the community to provide a high standard of living. The Black Panther’s demand for full employment resonates with the need for fair wages and dignified work conditions in the fashion industry.

Just as the Panthers demanded economic justice for all, sustainable fashion activists today must recognize that achieving justice encompasses not only environmental concerns but also social and economic justice. This entails fighting for economic empowerment initiatives, fair trade programs, and ethical business practices that prioritize the well-being and empowerment of garment workers worldwide.

The third point of the Black Panthers Ten Point Program is to end the robbery by capitalists from Black communities. Reparations and accountability are asserted given the belief that the United States has a racist government that robbed them and has an overdue debt of forty acres and two mules. This payment was promised 100 years ago as restitution for slave labor and mass murder of Black people, and the payment should be given in currency, to be distributed to many Black communities.

Echoing the Panthers' call for reparations, sustainable fashion activists should (and can) address historical injustices within the fashion industry. The exploitation of labor and resources from black and brown bodies should be acknowledged, coupled with pushing for reparative measures, and holding corporations accountable for past and present harms built from their colonial legacies of harm and greed.

The fourth point of the Black Panthers Ten Point program is the fight for decent housing fit for the shelter of human beings. It was asserted that if the White landlord does not give decent housing to Black communities, housing, and land should be made into cooperatives with government aid. The goal of the co-ops would be to build and make decent housing. Just as the Panthers championed decent housing, sustainable fashion activism must advocate for intersectional solutions that fight for the well-being of others. Fashion work needs to address environmental justice and sustainable urban development for holistic, long-term solutions.

Unfortunately, the production of fast fashion has already consumed many natural resources and disrupted the environmental balance. Sustainable fashion activists can address this harm by supporting regenerative agriculture, passing laws that limit environmental damage, and creating solutions sought by their communities that know what's necessary for a secure and dignified life.

The fifth point of the Black Panthers Ten Point Program asserts education for Black communities that exposes the true history of society and fosters knowledge of the self. It is believed that if a man does not know himself and his position in society (and the world), he has little chance to relate to anything else.

Sustainable fashion activists must acknowledge the importance of education and self-awareness in their efforts to build a movement, develop skills, and address systemic oppression. Taking action can start by creating local sustainable fashion events to spread awareness of fast fashion, taking time to reflect on personal values and principles, and working on reforming fashion curricula to center on sustainability and ethics.

The sixth point of the Black Panthers Ten Point Program is all Black men should be exempt from military service since they should not be forced to fight for a racist government. Rejecting military service, the Panthers stand in solidarity with oppressed peoples globally. They do not believe that they should fight and kill other people of color in the world who, like Black people, are victimized by the American government.

Sustainable fashion activism can similarly oppose exploitative practices and neocolonialism in the fashion industry. Protecting ourselves and others from the force and violence of racism and hyper-militarization helps ensure equity and justice. By advocating for sustainable and ethical practices, sustainable fashion activism challenges the prevailing systems that perpetuate exploitation. It also should seek to dismantle the structures that enable such exploitation and strive towards a more equitable and just fashion industry.

The seventh point of the Black Panthers Ten Point Program is to have an immediate end to police brutality and the murder of Black people. Organizing Black self-defense groups and the right to bear arms was asserted as a means to defend Black communities from racist police oppression and brutality. Just as the Panthers have organized self-defense groups against police brutality, sustainable fashion activism should address human rights violations in the industry. This involves creating whistleblower protections for garment workers who speak up, and mechanisms for holding brands accountable for human rights abuses.

The eighth point of the Black Panthers Ten Point Program is to fight for freedom for all Black men in federal, state, county, and city prisons and jails. They believe that all Black people should be released from jail and prison given they have often not been given a fair and impartial trial.

Sustainable fashion activism does have the potential to support initiatives that address prison labor, promote restorative justice, and advocate for fair wages and opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals. Activism does not have to fit nicely in a box. Sustainable fashion activists should get creative and advocate for policies that reform the criminal justice system. These efforts could help provide support for the rehabilitation and reintegration of formerly incarcerated individuals into society can make a significant impact. For example, Homeboy Threads is a certified social enterprise offering reuse and recycling services for apparel and textiles, and trains and employs people committed to transforming their lives after incarceration.

The ninth point of the Black Panthers Ten Point Program is to have all Black people be brought to trial and be tried in court by a jury of peer groups or people from their Black communities. The Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution gives a man a right to be tried by his peer group. A peer is a person from a similar economic, social, religious, geographical, environmental, historical, and racial background. To do this, the court needs to select a jury from the Black community from which the Black defendant came. Unfortunately, they’ve been commonly tried by all-White juries with no understanding of the “average reasoning man” of the Black community.

Community involvement is needed in the justice system. Sustainable fashion activism should take note of this and adopt participatory approaches to decision-making within the industry. This includes supporting initiatives that empower communities affected by fast fashion to shape policies and practices. We also must remember that the community is required to foster a sense of ownership and accountability within the industry. Consider joining the sustainable fashion movement by volunteering with groups doing the work, like Slow Fashion Movement and Remake.

The tenth and final point of the Black Panthers Ten Point Program is for Black communities to have land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice, and peace. They believe all men are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This comes with the idea that governments should protect these rights, and if they don't, people have the right to change or replace the government. However, this comes with the warning that we shouldn’t take the idea of changing a government lightly, but if the government consistently abuses its power, then people should replace it to protect their future, safety, and happiness.

Sustainable fashion activists should take this final point as a reminder of the dangers and struggle it will take to achieve a sustainable fashion industry. It will take a collective effort where we respect each other’s humanity and constantly strive for justice and sustainability. We can’t forget how interconnected we are, and how intersectional issues have become. Take the first steps to work with the current systems in place while understanding they are the roots of a lot of issues that oppress and exploit the most vulnerable. Continue to fight for systemic change within the fashion industry and take time to understand yourself, while never forgetting your responsibility and care for others.