Ledger

Issue date: 1/10/07 Section: News

As he sits in the conference room of Tully's, he opens his briefcase with his weathered hands and pulls out an old picture of his years in the BPP, Black Panther Party. Young men lined in front of the Alameda Court House wearing black berets, sunglasses and leather jackets. He stands military style, in front, straight-faced. The picture was taken in 1968. Almost 40 years later he sits in the coffee shop laughing as he recalls his days of revolution. "I was revolutionary, militant, but not violent," said Louis St. Cyr, who now spends his time mentoring students in the Black Student Union (BSU) at UWT. "He shares his experiences in developmental organization practices, and he encourages us. He goes above and beyond the call of duty for the BSU," said Chana Lawson, Vice President of the BSU. Cyr's adventure began in the uproar of the 1960s at 29 years old when he walked past a BPP meeting. It was about the political issues of 1967. Interested, Cyr walked in. "Once I stuck my head in the door I never turned back," he said. Cyr became one of the original members of the San Francisco chapter of the BPP. He continued to educate himself on the political issues of the time and sold the BPP newspaper while patrolling in the black community. According to Cyr the BPP was misunderstood by the black community until it set up programs like the breakfast program, free clinics, and other community outreaches. "The truth was hidden for years. We hold the truth," he said Now in retirement Cyr spends his time speaking to colleges and universities about racism and the importance of creating a sense of community. He believes he has a responsibility to continue to live out the legacy of the BPP. "Education is no good unless you pass it on," he said. According to Cyr, the fight for feeding the hungry, providing safe housing and appropriate healthcare is not finished. "These are the same principles we were fighting for 40 years ago," he said. Cyr now works with the BSU by providing wisdom to its board members. The mission of the BSU is to encourage diversity on campus and in the community. According to Cyr, "People need to come to understand different races and nations and come together and become one race." In the small conference room in Tully's, Cyr shows the picture of himself and others in front of the Alameda Court House. He described the "Free Huey" rally as intense, but highly organized. His eyes lit up as if being taken back to a revolutionary time, fist in the air he yelled "free Huey off the pig, free Huey off the pig," Then, laughing, he returns back to the present folding his dark hands on the table. Cyr is still a member of the BPP. "I'm not a criminal; I'm not a thug, although I may be listed [with the CIA]."

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