I watched a documentary recently about the ‘Black Panther Party’ in USA between 1967-75. They showed old footage of the party’s activities during these years & other footage of more prominent figures.. Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr, Malcolm X etc.
In the 1970s, they said that there was huge increase in use of Drugs, in the streets of many cities that had majority African-American populations.. inc. Chicago. The commentators stated, that there were many ‘Hints & allegations’ that the biggest supplier of these Drugs (mostly Opiates/Heroin) was the CIA, under ‘Govt. approval’. The main purpose was to take the focus off, of political activism. They said that in many of these areas, about a third of young black people, who has previously gotten involved in groups like ‘Black Panthers’, were being ‘targeted’ by these Drug dealers. The ‘WAR on DRUGS’ stated during these years & was ramped up under Nixon & later Reagan, but use levels also rose, exponentially too. 😦
In more recent times.. there are still similar allegations of ‘Govt. involvement’ in the illegal drug trade, BUT also that these ‘people of colour’ are the main target of Police Drug squads (arrest & prosecute) !
End the Drug War in Aotearoa/NZ 