The Black Panther Party

Starred review from December 21, 2020
This nuanced, accessible history of the Black Panther Party doesn’t shy away from the complexity of the political movement, nor does it fall into the trap of painting the diverse group as uniformly heroes or villains. “The Black Panthers became mythical—and it can be difficult to separate myth from reality,” explains Walker (The Life of Frederick Douglass). He opens the narrative long before the Party’s official founding in Oakland in 1966, showing why Black civil rights activists eventually saw problems with nonviolent reform in the face of violence from white supremacist mobs and state officials alike. Bobby Seale’s famous speech from the steps of the California State Capitol building in 1967 resonate today: “Black people have begged, prayed, petitioned, and demonstrated... to get the racist power structure of America to right wrongs.” Other key Panther figures, such as Huey P. Newtown and Eldridge Cleaver are provided concise profiles. Artist Kwame Anderson balances text and images skillfully, and even the wordiest sections feel spacious, while he lends cinematic visual pacing to the many heated interactions between activists and police. “While the year is different, the times are the same,” Walker concludes in an afterword written in May 2020. “Writing this book broke my heart.” This concise yet in-depth guide offers a timely resource for activists, history buffs, and students alike.

January 1, 2021
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Containing the informational density of a textbook and the brisk page compositions, dramatic framing, characterful art, and rich colors of a comic book, Walker and Anderson's work covers the titular organization's history as revolutionary group and its less-documented dedication to community service. They begin with the first use of black panther imagery by a regional political party in Lowndes County, Alabama; the inception of the Black Power movement; and the foundational relationship of Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale; and carry us through to the party's fractious unravelling and slow, dwindling death in 1982 (though there are currently more than a dozen members still incarcerated). Along the way, they spotlight notable exploits; infrastructure; FBI's counter-intelligence programs; the creation of the crucial Black Panther newspaper; and the party's progressive community outreach, serving as crossing guards, opening "liberation schools," and providing breakfast for school kids, among their many "survival programs." Wisely, though, the tale is told mainly through portrayals of the people at the organization's heart, including a section devoted to its female members. Though clearly sympathetic, the book hews close to the facts--unflattering ones included--and offers insight through quotes, conjectured conversations, statistics, and images, shedding light on the motives, events, and social currents that brought the Black Panthers crashing like a tidal wave into the System, a conflict that remains tragically and urgently relevant.

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