On August 21, John Hulett died at his home in Lowndes County, Alabama. He was one of the founders of the Lowndes County Freedom Organization in 1966. This was a political party that sought to elect African-Americans to county office. It appeared on the ballot under the logo of a black panther. The Alabama Democratic Party, which was then dominated by segregationists, used a rooster as its logo. The symbolism for the black panther was that a black panther could easily overcome a rooster. Hulett visited Oakland, California, in May 1966, and his party’s symbol was the inspiration for the formation of the Black Panther Party of northern California. The Black Panther Party in California never became ballot-qualified, but it helped the Peace & Freedom Party become qualified in California in late 1967.

The Lowndes County Freedom Organization polled between 46% and 41% of the vote for its countywide slate, in 1966. Later Hulett was elected sheriff, but as a Democrat. The county was so poor, the sheriff also had to be the cook for the inmates of the county jail. Hulett was a much loved figure during the years he was sheriff.