From the Huffington Post:

In Oakland, California Panthers would patrol the streets at night with legally owned shotguns and law books. Police brutality and false arrests dropped dramatically. The response of the State Legislature was to change the gun laws so that Black Panthers could no longer do armed patrols. The Panther’s response was to interrupt the hearings with guns and proclamations in hand. Bobby Seale, co founder of the Panthers told the press that black people had a constitutional right to bear arms to defend themselves.

This is from former Black Panther member Jamal Joseph.