>was because machine gun-toting Black Panthers made it clear
>that he was required to make a radical Black statement? Does
>that change anything?
>
>For me... it kinda does. In a way.

First of all, I seriously doubt Huey Newton held a AK to James' head and told him he had to record the song. I think they pressured James to make a "radical" song, because that's just how things were at the time. You couldn't sit on sidelines while the world was changing, you had to take a stand. I think the grand majority of us on this board can't really wrap our heads around the environment at the time (except Old Pro, who has Methuselah's pager number).