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December 24, 2019

Former Black Panther Robert Seth Hayes Dies at Age of 72
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Former Black Panther Robert Seth Hayes has died at the age of 72. Hayes
was born in Harlem in October 1947, the grandson of sharecroppers. He
was drafted into the Vietnam War and was awarded a Purple Heart. Hayes
joined the Black Panther Party after the assassination of Martin Luther
King Jr. He worked in the party's free medical clinics and free
breakfast programs. In 1973, he was convicted of the killing of a New
York City transit officer, which he has always denied. Hayes was
released from prison on parole last year, after 45 years behind bars,
making him one of the longest-held political prisoners in the United
States. He died on Saturday morning at his home in New York.


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