Former Black Panther Leader Pratt Praised as Hero Unbroken by Prison

Former Black Panther Party leader Elmer “Geronimo” Pratt was hailed Saturday as a revolutionary hero whose spirit was not broken by 27 years of captivity for a murder he denies committing.

Pratt spoke passionately to more than 500 people at an event billed as his first major public appearance in Los Angeles since his release from prison last month.

At a luncheon sponsored by the Black Women’s Forum, Pratt said: “I really want to express my appreciation for the crucial, the very important amount of assistance and love I got from our beautiful black women.”

Pratt was arrested in 1970 and charged with murdering schoolteacher Carolyn Olsen in a 1968 robbery on a Santa Monica tennis court. He was convicted in 1972 and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

Orange County Municipal Judge Everett W. Dickey freed Pratt from prison last month after finding that Pratt did not get a fair trial. Pratt and others have said numerous times that the charges were trumped up by the FBI during the turbulent 1960s.

Prosecutors have said they will appeal the ruling.

Long considered a hero in South-Central Los Angeles, Pratt urged people to take steps to empower the community.

Rep. Maxine Waters, who heads the Congressional Black Caucus and is president and co-founder of the Black Women’s Forum, praised Pratt as “a man whose spirit was not broken. He’s not speaking out words of vengeance. He’s speaking out words of peace.”

Pratt spoke about learning history and recognizing that the black community was once a matriarchal society. He also encouraged his audience not to stand by while today’s teenagers kill each other, telling people to instead “marshal the troops” to help empower the black community.

Pratt’s half-hour speech was punctuated by cheers, laughter and thunderous clapping from a crowd sprinkled with high school and college students.

“I’ve heard so much about him and we’ve all talked about him so much, I just couldn’t miss him,” said 17-year-old DeShawn Williams. “I wanted to see what he had to say to us. I mean, we consider him to be one of our modern heroes. And I don’t think we have many of them.”

Pratt greeted people with a small crowd in tow. His wife, children and grandchildren accompanied him.

A native of Morgan City, La., Pratt is a Vietnam veteran who joined the Panthers after serving in the military, where he earned two Bronze Stars, a Silver Star and two Purple Hearts.

“He made me feel so alive today. We need more black men like him telling it like it is,” said audience member Glenda Carter.