A legend in both civil rights and American history spoke to a diverse crowd Wednesday night at the Holmes Student Center’s Carl Sandburg Auditorium.

Bobby Seale, co-founder of the Black Panther Party, spoke for two hours to a multi-racial, enthusiastic audience as part of the Campus Activities Board-sponsored speaker series.

Seale covered a variety of topics, dispelling various myths surrounding the Black Panther party, including the racist rumors.

“We refuse to be a revenge black nationalist organization,” Seale said.

Seale also warned the crowd to “never ever stoop to the level of a racist.”

Seale began his speech quoting a few famous figures regarding the Black Panthers.

Former President Ronald Regan described the Black Panther Party in the past as a group of hoodlums and thugs. Seale countered the claims, citing his credentials and mentioning the positive byproducts, such as hospitals and civil rights legislation, of the Black Panther Party.

Seale’s partner, Huey P. Newton, also helped develop the Black Panther party after the assassination of the civil rights leader Malcolm X.

Seale’s anti-draft poem “Uncle Sammy Called Me Full Of Lucifer!” sparked a fight with police in which Seale was unfairly assaulted, according to Seale. The poem, which landed Seale in prison, set the Black Panther party in motion.

During his speech, Seale’s rendition of the poem grabbed the audience’s attention, resulting in an enthusiastic round of applause.

From there, Seale read the first of many devised Black Panther laws, which were created the day after his release.

During the first few months of the Panther movement, the small number of Panthers carried weapons, patrolling the police, who were known for brutality at the time.

During the patrolling, the Panthers carried weapons such as rifles and handguns, but the weapons weren’t concealed; therefore, they were completely legal in the state of California. The Black Panthers’ operation stressed legality and used it effectively, with law student Newton at the helm.

This was before state legislature passed a bill banning the use of loaded weapons on the California streets in response to the Black Panther militant police watch.

Finally, Seale addressed the violence the Black Panthers have notoriously been known for. Seale spoke of the deadly confrontation where Newton, in defense, fired a weapon, killing one police officer and wounding another.

Overall, the crowd response was positive.

“It was intellectual and enlightening,” said junior anthropology major Tim Tate.

Some of the audience members even felt inspired by Seale’s positive message.

“I hope in my life, I can reflect his message with my work and utilize my education to the fullest,” said junior journalism major Rashida Restaino.

Following his speech, Seale answered hard-hitting questions about the Panthers’ involvement with the Chinese Communist Party and addressed his thoughts on the new Black Panther party.

Seale dismissed the new Black Panther party as a bunch of racists and went into minor detail about a lawsuit the original Panthers are filing against the new Panthers.

Following the question-and-answer session, Seale signed copies of his books, which can be bought in bookstores or from his Web site, www.bobbyseale.com.