The Long-Term Impact
The events that occurred in the Black Panther Party era inspired other future revolutionary black movements to come into existence such as Black Lives Matter also known as BLM.
The Black Panther Party's Influence on BLM
The Black Panther Party's experience from over 50 years ago and their approach to racial issues have been seen by many part of BLM as a great influence. The party's influence and similarities can be seen in them both forming as a result of police brutality, them both using visual arts to make statements, them both advocating for Black Empowerment, and them both making programs for those with a lack of them.
"One of those is the People’s Survival Program in Jacksonville, Fla., which has existed since 2017, collecting food donations, educating those in need about social services and making public record requests for body camera footage. “The Black Panther Party really set me on a trajectory towards what it looks like to organize in the community,” Michael Sampson II, the executive director of the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, which runs the program, says." - TIME, How The Black Panther Party Inspired a New Generation of Activists
Picture of The Jacksonville Community Action Committee.
Education was also a key part of the Black Panthers’ mission: they started “liberation schools” that mixed traditional subjects like math and science with teachings about Black history and racial inequity. Current activists have embraced this emphasis on education: Noname, a rapper and activist, has a book club which has included Black Panther Party readings and materials, while Colin Kaepernick hosted a free youth camp in 2016 based on the Panthers’ 10-point plan, focusing on the history of policing and human rights. - TIME, How The Black Panther Party Inspired a New Generation of Activists
Picture of a Noname Book Club Chapter
The organization’s newspaper, The Black Panther, likewise placed a heavy emphasis on its visuals, prominently featuring Emory Douglas’ blaring comic strips and illustrations. Those illustrations are now cited as a key influence by many younger artists, who are emblazoning similar types of designs on streetwear and urban murals. The artist Fresco Steez—whose “Stop Killing Black People” masks were worn at protests across the country last summer, including by Rep. Ilhan Omar—recently announced a collection with Levi’s that includes her own take on the Black Panther logo. “We’re not just talking about Black history, we’re talking about Black futures,” she wrote in a press release. “The future that we are moving towards is in a long tradition of Black people building power in uprising and political struggle.” - TIME, How The Black Panther Party Inspired a New Generation of Activists
Fresco Steez
“They exist as a continual barometer to measure ourselves against—both in terms of lessons that have been garnered as well as challenges in terms of where we can improve or deepen our analysis,” - Aislinn Pulley: a co-founder of Black Lives Matter (BLM) Chicago
Despite the way they were treated by the country and government the Black Panther Party has been able to create a impactful legacy for themselves by bringing forth legislative change, new medical ideas, and social movements