 In his own writings , Abu @-@ Jamal describes his adolescent experience of being " kicked ... into the Black Panther Party " after suffering a beating from " white racists " and a policeman for his efforts to disrupt a George Wallace for President rally in 1968 . From the age of 14 , he helped form the Philadelphia branch of the Black Panther Party with Defense Captain Reggie Schell , and other Panthers , taking appointment , in his own words , as the chapter 's " Lieutenant of Information " , exercising a responsibility for writing information and news communications . In one of the interviews he gave at the time he quoted Mao Zedong , saying that " political power grows out of the barrel of a gun " . That same year , he dropped out of Benjamin Franklin High School and took up residence in the branch 's headquarters . He spent late 1969 in New York City and early 1970 in Oakland , living and working with BPP colleagues in those cities . He was a party member from May 1969 until October 1970 and was subject to Federal Bureau of Investigation COINTELPRO surveillance , with which the Philadelphia police cooperated , from then until about 1974 . 
 In his own writings , Abu @-@ Jamal <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>describes</mark></a> his adolescent experience of being " kicked ... into the Black Panther Party " after suffering a beating from " white racists " and a policeman for his efforts to disrupt a George Wallace for President rally in 1968 . From the age of 14 , he helped form the Philadelphia branch of the Black Panther Party with Defense Captain Reggie Schell , and other Panthers , taking appointment , in his own words , as the chapter <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'s</mark></a>" Lieutenant of Information " , exercising a responsibility for writing information and news communications . In one of the interviews he gave at the time he quoted Mao Zedong , saying that " political power <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>grows</mark></a> out of the barrel of a gun " . That same year , he<a href='been_done' title='4'><mark></mark></a> dropped out of Benjamin Franklin High School and took up residence in the branch <a href='null_genetive' title='5'><mark>'s</mark></a>headquarters . He<a href='been_done' title='6'><mark></mark></a> spent late 1969 in New York City and early 1970 in Oakland , living and working with BPP colleagues in those cities . He was a party member from May 1969 until October 1970 and was subject to Federal Bureau of Investigation COINTELPRO surveillance , with which the Philadelphia police cooperated , from then until about 1974 . 
In his own writings , Abu @-@ Jamal describe his adolescent experience of being " kicked ... into da Black Panther Party " after suffering a beating from " white racists " and a policeman fir his efforts to disrupt a George Wallace fir President rally in 1968 . From the age of 14 , he helped form tdaPhiladelphia branch of the Black Panther Party with Defense Captain Reggie Schell , and other Panthers , takin appointment , in his own words , as thdahapter  " Lieutenant of Information " , exercising a responsibility for writing information and news communications . In one of thedaterviews he gave at the dae he quoted Mao Zedong , saying dat " political power grow out of the barrel of a gun " . That same year , he done dropped outt of Benjamin Franklin High School and took up residence in the bdach  headquarters . He been spent late 1969 in New York City and early 1970 in Oakland , livin and workin with BPP colleagues in those cities . He was a party member from May 1969 til October 1970 and was subject to Federal Bureau of Investigation COINTELPRO surveillance , witt which the Phdadelphia police cooperated , from then until bout 1974 .