Early Years
Geronimo Ji Jaga was born in Morgan City, Louisiana and was a high school quarterback. His father was in the scrap metal business. He served two combat tours in the Vietnam War, reaching the rank of sergeant and earning two Bronze Stars, a Silver Star, and two Purple Hearts. He later moved to Los Angeles.
After he served his two tours, Geronimo Ji Jaga studied political science at UCLA, using the GI Bill. Geronimo Ji Jaga was recruited into the Panthers by Bunchy Carter and John Huggins. When Pratt joined the Black Panthers, his years in the army proved useful. He rose to be Minister of Defense of the local organization, after two of its officers were killed. In 1971, Geronimo Ji Jaga's wife Saundra was killed while 8 months pregnant and left in a ditch. The murder was blamed on a Party schism between supporters of Huey Newton and those of Eldridge Cleaver, with Geronimo Ji Jaga and his wife belonging to the Cleaver faction. Geronimo later understood this to be an F.B.I. lie. Saundra's murder was unrelated to the Black Panther Party.
By January 1970, the Los Angeles FBI office had sought permission from headquarters for a counterintelligence effort "designed to challenge the legitimacy of the authority exercised" by Pratt in the local Panthers. Another FBI memo dated five months later noted that the Bureau was constantly considering counterintelligence measures designed to neutralize Pratt "as an effective (Panther) functionary."
Read more about this topic: Geronimo Pratt
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