Between 1969 and 1971, the Black Panther Party established 36 breakfast programs across the country. It’s estimated that over time, the Panthers fed 50,000 across the country through their program. "The Panthers are feeding more kids than we are," one US government official reportedly admitted. With each mouth fed, it became increasingly difficult for government officials like Hoover to portray the Panthers in a negative light. They were achieving where the government was failing. The breakfast