Bobby Hutton

Robert James Hutton (April 21, 1950 – April 6, 1968), also known as "Lil' Bobby," was the treasurer and first recruit to join the Black Panther Party. Alongside Eldridge Cleaver and other Panthers, he was involved in a confrontation with Oakland police that wounded two officers. Hutton was killed by the police in disputed circumstances. Cleaver stated Hutton was shot while surrendering with his hands up, while police stated he ignored commands and tried to flee.

Early life Bobby Hutton was one of three children, born in Jefferson County, Arkansas, to John D. Hutton and Dolly Mae Mitchner-Hutton. When he was three years old, his family moved to Oakland, California during the second wave of the Great Migration, after they were visited by nightriders intimidating and threatening Black residents in the area.

Black Panther Party Hutton met Black Panther Party founders Huey Newton and Bobby Seale at the North Oakland Neighborhood Anti-Poverty Center, a "government-funded agency that employed local youth to work on community service projects." In October 1966, 16-year-old Hutton became the first member and the first treasurer of the Black Panther Party. while the police maintained that he attempted to run away and ignored orders to stop.

Eldridge Cleaver stated that Hutton was shot by the police with his hands up. Cleaver also claimed that an Oakland police officer who witnessed the shoot-out later told him: "What they did was first-degree murder." Cleaver and two police officers were also wounded. Bobby Seale, a fellow Black Panther, has since speculated that the police shot Bobby Hutton thinking they were shooting him. About 1,500 people attended the funeral. He was buried at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland.

Huey P. Newton's 1973 autobiography Revolutionary Suicide, is dedicated to Hutton.

In popular culture Hutton has been referenced frequently in popular culture. He was portrayed by Wesley Jonathan in the 1995 movie Panther.

He is mentioned in Tupac Shakur's "Ghetto Gospel," Paris' "Panther Power" (1990), The Coup's "Get Up" (2001), Smif-N-Wessun’s "Still Fighting" (2007), Sa-Roc's "Lost Sunz" (2014), Bhi Bhiman's "Up in Arms" (2015), Bambu's verse from Rocky Rivera's "Headhunter," and Clipping's "Blood of the Fang" (2019). Also, Curly Castro of Shrapnkel off Backwoodz Studios named his debut album "Little Robert Hutton"

A photo of Hutton in front of the Oakland City Jail appeared on the cover of Primal Scream's 1997 single "Star." Country Joe and the Fish dedicated their 1968 LP Together to Hutton. Hutton's story is featured in the young adult novel One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia.