Lou Byers who lived in Oakland, CA, joined the United States Army at the age of 17. His time in the armed services in Germany was marked by Byers experiencing racism at a higher level than he ever had in Oakland. Byers grew disillusioned with the U.S. and began writing home expressing suicidal ideation. Byers' mother contacted the Red Cross unsuccessfully attempting to get Byers help. Byers was dishonorably discharged at 19 for apathy toward the military and an inability to adjust. Back in the United States Byers was later incarcerated for minor public altercations spurred on by his resentment and hatred of the U.S. military. 

Lou Byers' time in the United States Army 

Across the twenty two articles published in the Black Panther about psychosurgery between June 1971 and October 1977 the term vegetable is used seven times. Four of these seven times refer to Lou Byers. Two of these four times were in the first article published by Lou Byers which was a reprint of an article published in the Black Thought so not written by Black Panther authors.

Use of the Term Vegetable in the Black Panther

The April 30, 1977 article on Lou Byers covers Lou's time in the military, incarceration, and experience with psychosurgery.

University of Wisconsin - Madison

- April 30, 1977 Article
- "Mother of Psychosurgery Victim Appeal for Community Help"
- "V.A. Hospital Pays for Human Guinea Pigs: Perms Psychosurgery on Black Oakland Youth"

Black Panther Articles on Lou Byers

Schalk, Sami. Black Disability Politics, New York, USA: Duke University Press, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781478027003

Black Disability Politics

April 30, 1977 Lou Byers Article

The week after the publishing of the April 30, 1977 the Black Panthers published an article based on information from an interview with Margarite Wallace, titled "Mother of Psychosurgery Victim Appeals for Community Help."

"Mother of Psychosurgery Victim Appeals for Community Help"

"V.A. Hospital Pays For Human Guinea Pigs: Performs Psychosurgery on Black Oakland Youth," was the third and final article published in the Black Panther about Lou Byers, published a week after "Mother of Psychosurgery Victim Appeal for Community Help."

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