Paul Birdsong, Chairman of the Philadelphia Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, Invites Community to Learn More Amid Scrutiny
After its members drew national attention while patrolling a recent anti-ICE protest, the Philadelphia chapter of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense is opening its doors to the public amid mounting questions about its legitimacy.
Paul Birdsong, who serves as chairman of the local chapter, announced in an Instagram video that the group will host a public meeting on Saturday, Jan. 31, at noon, at 2123 North Gratz Street in Philadelphia. According to Birdsong, the gathering is intended to allow community members to meet what he described as “real” and “original” Black Panther Party elders who are advising the chapter.
“I’d like to invite everyone out … to meet with myself and the reputable, notable Black Panther Party elders, original Black Panthers from the 60s,” Birdsong said in the video, where he appeared flanked by members dressed in black. “They will be there to sit down with us, talk with us, and learn with us and grow with us.”
Birdsong said the meeting would also serve as a chance for the public to verify the chapter’s authenticity and understand where its leadership receives guidance.
“This is an opportunity to authenticate us,” he said, adding that attendees would see “who we are getting tutelage, lessons, guidance, understanding and truth from.”
Event Location and Public Invitation
Birdsong encouraged skeptics and supporters alike to attend, emphasizing that the event would be peaceful and community-focused.
“I invite everyone who has any questions pertaining to our authenticity or our validity to come,” he said. “There will be plenty of food, plenty of refreshments. There will be a peaceful time, and there will be notable, original Black Panther Party elders there for you to talk to, ask questions, and get to know.”
The address Birdsong provided—2123 North Gratz Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19121—appears to be associated with the Madeira Family Center, according to public listings on Yelp and other GPS platforms.
Backlash After Anti-ICE Protest
The announcement comes days after video footage circulated online showing individuals identifying themselves as Black Panther Party members patrolling an anti-ICE protest in Philadelphia. The footage prompted swift backlash from some activists and individuals connected to the original Black Panther Party, who questioned whether the group had the authority to use the name.
One of the most vocal critics was Myesha Newton, who publicly identified herself as the niece of Huey P. Newton, the party’s co-founder. In a video posted online, Newton denounced Birdsong and the Philadelphia chapter, accusing them of misrepresenting the legacy of the organization founded in Oakland, California, in 1966.
“You are not going to defame my uncle’s name like that,” she said, threatening legal action and a cease-and-desist order against those using the Black Panther Party name.
Allie Ippolito / For The Inquirer
Conflicting Claims Over Legacy
Following Newton’s remarks, another individual stepped forward with a conflicting account. A man identifying himself as Rico Dukes, who claimed to be Huey Newton’s biological son, posted a Facebook video vouching for the Philadelphia chapter.
“I had been watching him for a few months, and then I finally called him to give him my blessings and standing how the Panthers stood in 1966,” Dukes said in the video shared on Jan. 18. He added that multiple elders from the original Panther Party supported Birdsong’s chapter.
Whether Huey P. Newton had any biological children has never been definitively established, leaving the competing claims unresolved.
Birdsong Responds to Critics
In his latest statements, Birdsong acknowledged the concerns raised by those who say they are protecting the Black Panther Party’s historical legacy.
“I want to thank everybody who has been diligent and vigilant to protect the Black Panther Party legacy,” he said. “I commend you guys protecting the legacy. I commend you guys standing up for the legacy. And I’m actually grateful that you are.”
He framed the upcoming public meeting as the most transparent way to assess his chapter’s legitimacy.
“I think the best way to protect the legacy, going forward, pertaining to us, is to come to the event,” Birdsong said. “Bring whoever else you want to the event.”
Birdsong also extended direct invitations to prominent figures associated with the original movement, including Fred Hampton Jr. and General Mike Payne, inviting them to attend in what he described as a spirit of “peace and revolutionary love.”
Positioning the Party Today
Amid the controversy, Birdsong has also sought to clarify what he says are misconceptions about the Black Panther Party’s ideology. In a separate statement, he emphasized that the original organization was not rooted in Black nationalism.
“The Black Panther Party is not a Black nationalist organization,” Birdsong said. “The New Black Panther Party might be. I’m not sure. The Revolutionary Black Panther Party might be. Any of these variations of Black Panther parties might be. But the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense—the one Huey Newton started with Bobby Seale—is an internationalist organization that stands as allies with oppressed people, no matter what their ethnic background is, no matter what their cultural background is.”
Community Outreach Continues
Despite the scrutiny, Birdsong said the Philadelphia chapter has continued its community outreach efforts across the city and in nearby areas, including Baltimore. He closed his public invitation by reiterating the event’s details and invoking the movement’s historic rallying cry: “All power to the people.”
The Jan. 31 gathering now stands as a public test of legitimacy, one that could shape how the Black Panther Party name is claimed, challenged, and understood in 2026.
