Mark Comfort facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mark Comfort
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Comfort photographed in Sacramento, California on May 2, 1967, when the Black Panthers "stormed" the Capitol
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Mark Everett Comfort
February 6, 1934 Oklahoma, U.S.
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| Died | November 6, 1976 (aged 42) Sprague River, Oregon, U.S.
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| Organisation | Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee Oakland Direct Action Committee |
| Political party | Black Panther Party |
| Movement | Black Power Movement |
Mark Everett Comfort (born February 6, 1934 – died November 6, 1976) was an important community leader. He worked for civil rights in Oakland, California during the 1960s. He later moved to Lowndes County, Alabama.
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Early Civil Rights Work
Mark Comfort was a dedicated activist. He helped with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in Lowndes County, Alabama. This project focused on protecting Black people. They needed to defend themselves against groups like the Ku Klux Klan.
He asked Stokely Carmichael, another civil rights leader, if he could use the "Black Panther" name. Carmichael agreed, saying the name belonged to "the people."
Starting the Oakland Direct Action Committee
With this permission, Mark Comfort returned to Oakland in 1965. He started his own group called the Oakland Direct Action Committee (ODAC). He was the head of this group. Other local groups also liked the Black Panther name. Mark Comfort also created clubs for young Black males. These clubs were called the Alm Boy Dukes and the Enchanted Maffions.
Family and Equality
Mark Comfort married Gloria Black on March 27, 1953, in Oakland. Gloria was a white woman. Once, a member of the Black Panther Party (BPP) tried to stop her from entering an office. Bobby Seale, a co-founder of the BPP, quickly stepped in. He told the member that if Mark was a Panther, his wife was too. Her race did not matter. This showed the party's belief in equality.
Helping the Community
Mark Comfort and his wife Gloria worked hard for their community. They formed the Parents Association for Better Schools in 1966.
Free School Lunches
This group worked to get free school lunches for children in need. They focused on the Oakland Public Schools. Their efforts were successful. This project later became the Ad Hoc Committee for Better Schools. This new group worked with the Oakland School District. Their goal was to improve education for all children.
Running for Office
In 1966, Mark Comfort also ran for the State Assembly. He finished fourth among nine candidates. He ran his campaign with very little money.
Working with the Black Panther Party
The ODAC and the Black Panther Party often worked together. They would follow police after Black people were arrested. They would go to the police station. Often, they would help bail people out of jail.
The Denzil Dowell Case
In 1967, a Black man named Denzil Dowell was killed by a sheriff's deputy. This happened in Contra Costa County, California. Officials said the killing was justified. However, reports showed that Dowell died from multiple gunshot wounds. His family faced difficulties getting information about his death.
Mark Comfort contacted Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale for help. They agreed to assist. The media covered this case widely. This coverage helped the Black Panther Party become known to many Americans.
The Sacramento Capitol Protest
In spring 1967, Mark Comfort led the ODAC to join the BPP. They went to the California State Assembly in Sacramento, California. This event is sometimes called an "invasion." The BPP borrowed seven of Mark's guns for this protest.
Reading the Mandate
When they arrived, Governor Ronald Reagan was speaking outside. He quickly left when he saw the group. The activists, followed by the media, entered the assembly chambers. They read "Executive Mandate Number One." Huey P. Newton wrote this mandate.
The Mandate stated that Black people needed to arm themselves. It said this was to protect against police actions. It also mentioned the government's actions in Vietnam.
Arrests and New Laws
The group surrendered their weapons and were arrested. Mark Comfort was the last person to give up his weapon. Bobby Seale was charged with having a hidden weapon. Others were held for disrupting state assembly meetings. This event brought the group into the national spotlight. It made the Black Panther Party a national movement. Membership grew across the country.
After this event, in July 1967, a new law was passed. It was called the Mulford Act. This law made it illegal to openly carry loaded guns in public. This forced the BPP to stop their "police patrols."
Later Arrests and Music
Mark Comfort was arrested again in 1967. This happened with Newton and Seale after a protest at The Oakland Tribune. They were arrested in Sacramento for being a "public nuisance." They were defended by Beverly Axelrod, a lawyer. Comfort was sentenced to six months in jail. He served only 44 days. A Supreme Court Justice, William O. Douglas, gave him a stay of sentence.
While in prison, Mark Comfort released a song. It was a blues song about the Vietnam War. The song was called "D***n Vietnam." He released it on a 7-inch vinyl record. The money raised from the song helped pay for bail. A copy of the record is in the Vietnam War Song Project archive.
