Richard Aoki
| Richard Aoki | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
November 20, 1938 San Leandro, California, U.S. |
| Died | March 15, 2009 (aged 70) Berkeley, California, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Self-inflicted gunshot wound during a period of severe illness |
| Nationality | American |
| Education |
Merritt College University of California, Berkeley |
| Occupation | Civil rights activist most known for his role in the Black Panther Party |
Richard Aoki (/ɑːˈoʊki/ or /eɪˈoʊki/; 20 November 1938 – 15 March 2009) was an American educator and college counselor, best known as a civil rights activist and early member of the Black Panther Party. He joined the early Black Panther Party and was eventually promoted to the position of Field Marshal. Although there were several Asian Americans in the Black Panther Party, Aoki was the only one to have a formal leadership position. FBI documents released in 2012 assert that Aoki was an FBI informant from 1961 to 1977, which is denied by his supporters.
Richard Aoki was born in San Leandro, California in 1938 to Japanese parents. He and his family were interned at the Topaz War Relocation Center in Utah from 1942 to 1945. They moved to Oakland, California, a predominantly black neighborhood, after World War II ended. In junior high Aoki joined a gang, later would brag that he was a great street fighter, and still managed to become co-valedictorian. While attending Berkeley High Aoki was approached to join the FBI after being heard on a FBI wiretap monitoring local members of the Communist Party. He was instructed to join left-wing groups and report what he found to the FBI. Later, in a deal to expunge his criminal record, Aoki spent one year in active duty serving in the United States Army, first as a medic and later in the infantry, and 7 years in the reserves. In this time he became proficient in firearms. During his time in the reserves he was elected to The Berkeley Young Socialist Alliance's executive council and was a member other socialist groups, reporting the information he gathered back to the FBI.
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