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Huey P. Newton was born in Monroe, Louisiana. He was named after governor Huey P. Long. Newton's family moved to Oakland, California in his childhood.
In 1966, Newton and Bobby Seale founded the Black Panther Party in Oakland. He remained leader of the Party until 1973, overseeing a period of meteoric, nation-wide growth, as well as severe infighting. In 1973, he fled to Cuba to avoid facing trial for the murder of a prostitute. He chose Elaine Brown to replace him.
Newton's Autobiography, Revolutionary Suicide, was published in 1973.
Newton died in Oakland at the age of 47 after being shot by a drug dealer, in what many believe was a drug deal gone bad.