Black Panther Party: The Women Behind the Process
By Jakyla Miller
During the 1950's and 1960's there was segregation, police brutality, inequality, and many more injustices against blacks. Two men, Bobby Seale and Huey Newton, were fed up with this and decided to form a group to protect and stand up for Black people. The Black Panther Party was the name, and the party’s original purpose was to patrol African American neighborhoods to protect residents from acts of police brutality. As black power and activism was on the rise, the group began to spread nationwide. Women are often not taken seriously in such groups, and I will be exploring the amazing women who participated in this group and went against the odds.
The chapter of the Black Panther Party in Philadelphia did a nice job of not only protecting black people but also reaching the community by doing the “free food for survival” program, educational programs, rallies, and other political events.
One prominent figure in the Philadelphia chapter of the Black Panther Party was Elaine Brown. After being a leader in the Philadelphia chapter she became a part of the national team in California. Elaine Brown was a prison activist, writer, singer, and Chairwoman of the group. In Elaine's book, A Taste of Power- A Black Woman's Story, she says: “The value of my life had been obliterated as much by being female as by being black and poor. Racism and sexism in America were equal partners in my oppression.” Elaine shows black women that you can make a difference and lead the cause. Women are often not taken seriously in roles of power, and Elaine shows us that it is possible for us to go against the odds.
Assata Shakur was born JoAnne Deborah Byron in Jamaica, Queens, New York. After she ran away from home to her aunts home she being thoroughly involved in political activism at Borough of Manhattan Community College and City College of New York. While in Oakland, Assata worked with the Black Panther Party (BPP) by organizing protests and community education programs. When she returned back to New York she led the BPP chapter in Harlem. While doing so she coordinated the free breakfast program for children, free clinics, and community outreach. She is now on the FBI’s wanted list because she escaped prison to Cuba, but we aren't going to discuss those details. She believes that: “No one is going to give you the education you need to overthrow them. Nobody is going to teach you your true history, teach you your true heroes, if they know that that knowledge will help set you free.”
The last woman in activism I will be highlighting is a woman named Kathleen Cleaver. She married Eldridge Cleaver, Minister of Information for the Black Panther Party. When she moved to San Fransisco she became the communications secretary and the first female member of the party's decision making body. She believed: “People have been murdered for less than what the Black Panthers did, so the question was for us: 'Do you want to live on your knees or die on your feet?” Through this quote we see how strong she was and how willing she was to risk it all.
Black women everywhere are making changes in the world, but they aren't acknowledged or praised for it. Black people can do amazing things and we should show it more.
Some videos to watch on these beautiful women