Black Panthers & Rainbow Coalitions, Part 2

Between Protected content its official dissolution in Protected content , a wave of radical 'new left' activism associated with the Black Panther Party (BPP) spread rapidly across Black America from its origins in Oakland, Ca. At the centre of its politics was a focus on 'community' - most importantly on protecting the latter from state violence, as well as providing the basic needs and services - allegedly available to all US citizens - yet that the state markedly did not provide for these communities.

In this series of events we will explore how the BPP became so 'controversial', why it was relentlessly maligned, what its true legacy was, and what this is even today in the United States. The evidence we present, which relies on primary sources and most especially testimonies from participants and their descendants, will debunk many myths and question the narratives we've been given.

We are assembling a unique collection of videos, podcasts and snippets thereof for this series. If all you've heard about the BPP is one of the dominant narratives, then come along and be both surprised and enlightened!

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Part 2 shows how the Black Panther endeavour was met with the media-driven creation of a 'folk-devil and moral panic' (Stanley Cohen, Protected content , combined with a systematic campaign of state persecution, incarceration and assassination.