Two years after its founding, the Intercommunal Youth Institute had grown to 50 students and in 1973 relocated to the Son of Man Temple. Hundreds of community members gathered to celebrate the school and the children, who played music and sang. Bobby Seale addressed the audience and dedicated the school and the temple to the community, emphasizing the school’s goal of teaching how not what to think. Brenda Bay, the school director, elaborated on the institute’s aims, including the importance of cultivating relationships based in love. The joyous, communal nature of the event highlights the differences between the IYI and a typical public school. Attendees also received resources about the other community survival programs.

The article describes the event as inspiring evidence of an alternative to the deeply unequal public school system: “Black and poor communities across the land have a model and an example to follow.” The event, and the community survival programs as a whole, highlight the Black Panther focus on community investment and support, a key tenant of their philosophy that is often overshadowed by their militant reputation. Pictures show multiple generations of Black community members coming together to celebrate the school.