Richard Aoki

Richard Aoki
Born	November 20, 1938(1938-11-20) San Leandro, California, United States
Died	March 15, 2009(2009-03-15) (aged 70) Berkeley, California, United States
Cause of death	complications from dialysis
Nationality	United States
Education	Merritt College University of California, Berkeley
Occupation	civil rights activist

Richard Aoki ( /ɑːˈoʊki/ or /eɪˈoʊki/; 20 November 1938 – 15 March 2009) was an American civil rights activist. He was one of the first members of the Black Panther Party and was eventually promoted to the position of "Field Marshall" [sic]. Although there were several Asian Americans in the Black Panther Party, Aoki was the only one to have a formal leadership position.

Life

Aoki was born in San Leandro, California in 1938 to Japanese parents. He and his family were interned at the Topaz War Relocation Center in Utah from 1942 to 1945. They moved to Oakland, California after World War II ended. Aoki spent eight years serving in the United States Army, first as a medic and later in the infantry. He attended Merritt College for two years, where he became close friends with his longtime acquaintances Huey Newton and Bobby Seale, the founding members of the Black Panther Party; the organization was founded in October 1966, one month after Aoki transferred to the University of California, Berkeley. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in sociology in 1968 and a Master of Social Work degree in 1970.

Aoki died at his home in Berkeley from complications from dialysis. His life was chronicled in the 2009 documentary film, Aoki.

External links

• Official website for Aoki, A Film Documentary (includes video clips from film)