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- Kaune-Presentation-INSPIRE24.pdf
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- Kaune-Paper-ISNPIRE24.pdf
Presentation Type
Open Access Oral Presentation
Abstract
During the Cold War, the United States government was absorbed in paranoia. Communism was an active threat to the United States’ democratic values. It used illegal counterintelligence measures to monitor groups deemed a threat to capitalism and political stability. These excessive security efforts aimed to survey various organized fringe groups such as the Communist Party of the United States and the Ku Klux Klan but most specifically targeted and adversely impacted the black community and even led to attacks on prominent members of groups such as the Black Panther Party. The United States government has not publicly acknowledged the injustices committed during this program, nor has the government been held accountable. In 2001, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the United States, the government reimplemented its surveillance measures, this time making the move public through legislation. This reimplementation also adversely targets minorities of Arabic or Islamic descent. This paper explores how the United States government abused its power and used illegal methods and measures against these groups, specifically the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party located in Chicago, and the program’s impact on public perceptions of the Panther movement. It will then finish by elaborating on the increased security measures implemented after 9/11 and how they compare to past injustices.
Start Date
9-4-2024 10:00 AM
End Date
9-4-2024 11:00 AM
Faculty Advisor
Kenneth Atkinson
Department
Department of History
Student Type
Graduate Student
Copyright
©2024 Addyson Kaune
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Kaune, Addyson, "Government Spying and Abuse of Power Against Minority Groups" (2024). INSPIRE Student Research and Engagement Conference. 63.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/csbsresearchconf/2024/all/63
Government Spying and Abuse of Power Against Minority Groups
During the Cold War, the United States government was absorbed in paranoia. Communism was an active threat to the United States’ democratic values. It used illegal counterintelligence measures to monitor groups deemed a threat to capitalism and political stability. These excessive security efforts aimed to survey various organized fringe groups such as the Communist Party of the United States and the Ku Klux Klan but most specifically targeted and adversely impacted the black community and even led to attacks on prominent members of groups such as the Black Panther Party. The United States government has not publicly acknowledged the injustices committed during this program, nor has the government been held accountable. In 2001, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the United States, the government reimplemented its surveillance measures, this time making the move public through legislation. This reimplementation also adversely targets minorities of Arabic or Islamic descent. This paper explores how the United States government abused its power and used illegal methods and measures against these groups, specifically the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party located in Chicago, and the program’s impact on public perceptions of the Panther movement. It will then finish by elaborating on the increased security measures implemented after 9/11 and how they compare to past injustices.
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