Meet The Panther
Pete O’Neal is the founder of the school and the brains behind setting up the United African Alliance Community Center (UAACC), which encompasses the Leaders of Tomorrow Children’s Home. Pete is the former leader of the Kansas City Black Panthers, and is in exile in Tanzania. You can see his story in the You Tube video, A Panther in Africa. His story is compelling and reflects the turmoil that the country faced in the 60’s. Pete is personable, a story teller and absolutely loves that he has made a difference in both his life and the lives of these children.
He is amazed at how he has adapted to the children, and they’ve adapted to him and his wife Charlotte, a leader of the community in her own right. As an author, poet, and artist, she has started many programs for the children, to help bring out their hidden talents and skills.
This is your once in a lifetime opportunity to meet Pete O’Neal, a historical icon in history that most will only read about in a book!
Timeline
Late 1960's
Felix “Pete” O’Neal, Jr. (born 1941), became the chairman of the Kansas City chapter of the Black Panther Party in the late 1960’s. On October 30, 1969, Pete was arrested for the transporting of a gun across state lines (under a law implemented only two weeks prior to his arrest).
1970's
A year later a court convicted him and in October 1970, he was sentenced to four years in prison. While out on bail, O’Neal traveled to Algeria, where a number of other Black Panther Party members had also absconded to in the face of imprisonment in the United States. This group became known as the “International Section” of the Black Panther Party, and was centered around Eldridge and Kathleen Cleaver. A year later O’Neal moved on to Tanzania.
Till Now
O’Neal has remained in Tanzania ever since. Together with his wife, Charlotte Hill O’Neal, he is the co-founder of the United African Alliance Community Center (UAACC) in the village of Imbaseni, near the northern city of Arusha, Tanzania. The UAACC is a center focusing on healing the community by providing a diverse array of free art, music, film and other classes to members of the community. The UAACC also serves as a hostel for people travelling through the area—offering several “huts” with bunk beds. The center has been frequented by several celebrities, American politicians, study abroad programs, students, documentary film makers, and artists. Pete and Charlotte provide numerous jobs to locals of the community and the center is entirely run by local Tanzanians. O’Neal’s family still resides in the Kansas City area. He is a third cousin to US Representative Emmanuel Cleaver. Since 1991, Cleaver and others have unsuccessfully attempted to obtain a pardon for O’Neal, and took the issue to both President Bill Clinton and President Barack Obama. Both declined to pardon O’Neal.
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