On the Ground: The Black Panther Party in Communities across AmericaJudson L. Jeffries The Black Panther Party suffers from a distorted image largely framed by television and print media, including the Panthers' own newspaper. These sources frequently reduced the entire organization to the Bay Area where the Panthers were founded, emphasizing the Panthers' militant rhetoric and actions rather than their community survival programs. This image, however, does not mesh with reality. The Panthers worked tirelessly at improving the life chances of the downtrodden regardless of race, gender, creed, or sexual orientation. In order to chronicle the rich history of the Black Panther Party, this anthology examines local Panther activities throughout the United States—in Seattle, Washington; Kansas City, Missouri; New Orleans, Louisiana; Houston, Texas; Des Moines, Iowa; and Detroit, Michigan. This approach features the voices of people who served on the ground—those who kept the offices in order, prepared breakfasts for school children, administered sickle cell anemia tests, set up health clinics, and launched free clothing drives. The essays shed new light on the Black Panther Party, re-evaluating its legacy in American cultural and political history. Just as important, this volume gives voice to those unsung Panthers whose valiant efforts have heretofore gone unnoticed, unheard, or ignored. |
Contents
3 | |
The Seattle Chapter of the Black Panther Party | 41 |
Chapter 3 THE KANSAS CITY BLACK PANTHER PARTY AND THE REPRESSION OF THE BLACK REVOLUTION | 96 |
Chapter 4 MOTOR CITY PANTHERS | 125 |
Chapter 5 THE DES MOINES IOWA AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND THE EMERGENCE AND IMPACT OF THE BLACK PANTHER... | 186 |
Other editions - View all
On the Ground: The Black Panther Party in Communities across America Judson L. Jeffries Limited preview - 2010 |
On the Ground: The Black Panther Party in Communities Across America Judson L. Jeffries No preview available - 2010 |
On the Ground: The Black Panther Party in Communities Across America Judson L. Jeffries No preview available - 2011 |
Common terms and phrases
Aaron Dixon activists activities African American African American community April arrested black community Black Panther newspaper Black Panther Party Black Power black students Bobby Bobby Seale BPP chapter branch CACRC cadre Carl Hampton Center Central Area Charles Cheatom city’s civil rights movement clinic coalition CORE Detroit Panthers Detroit police Eldridge Cleaver Elmer Dixon free breakfast program Freeman Giarrusso Gossett headquarters High School Hobbs housing Houston Huey Ibid interview by Judson Iowa Jeffries July June Kansas City BPP Kansas City chapter killed King Knox Landrieu Larry Gossett leaders leadership mayor militant Moines Register Moon Landrieu NAACP NCCF neighborhood newspaper northside Oakland October organization Orleans Park party members party’s percent Piety Street pigs Police Department police officers racial racism Rahim rally recalled repression residents revolution revolutionary Seattle Panthers Seattle’s segregation shooting survival programs tion Tracy Wilson University urban urban guerrilla warfare violence women York young youth