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Black Against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party

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Black Against Empire is a detailed and well-researched history of the rise and fall of the Black Panther Party, highlighting their method of armed self-defense, radical language, and their significant impact on the Black Power movement. The book delves into the party's origins with Bobby Seale and Huey Newton, their social programs, views on racial issues, and the challenges they faced, ultimately providing a comprehensive look at the organization's history during a turbulent time period.

Writing/Prose:

The writing is academic and thorough, designed for readers with prior knowledge of the subject, providing in-depth analysis and context.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative offers a detailed history of the Black Panther Party, highlighting its formation, challenges, and contributions, as well as pivotal events that shaped its journey.

Setting:

The historical setting captures a tumultuous period in American history marked by social unrest and movements advocating for racial justice.

Pacing:

The pacing is intricate and complex, requiring careful engagement from the reader to follow the historical narrative.
This is the genius of Huey Newton, of being able to TAP this VAST RESERVOIR of revolutionary potential. I mean, street niggers, you dig it? Niggers who been BAD, niggers who weren’t scared, because th...

Notes:

The Black Panther Party (BPP) was founded as a response to police brutality against African Americans.
Bobby Seale and Huey Newton were the founders of the BPP.
The BPP implemented social programs like free breakfasts for children and medical services.
The party's methods included armed self-defense, which set it apart from other civil rights groups.
Lil Bobby Hutton, a young Panther, was killed by police during a confrontation in 1968, following Martin Luther King's assassination.
The BPP faced intense opposition from the FBI and law enforcement, which contributed to its decline.
The BPP aimed for black self-determination and sometimes proposed separation from the U.S. government.
The organization expanded rapidly after MLK's death, capturing the attention of many across the globe.
The authors of the book acknowledge their bias but aim to present a fair history of the BPP.
The BPP had a fragile coalition, and internal divisions contributed to its downfall.
The book highlights the BPP's influence on both black and white activists and on social movements worldwide.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Triggers/content warnings may include depictions of violence, systemic racism, police brutality, and political repression.

From The Publisher:

In Oakland, California, in 1966, community college students Bobby Seale and Huey Newton armed themselves, began patrolling the police, and promised to prevent police brutality. Unlike the Civil Rights Movement that called for full citizenship rights for blacks within the U.S., the Black Panther Party rejected the legitimacy of the U.S. government and positioned itself as part of a global struggle against American imperialism. In the face of intense repression, the Party flourished, becoming the center of a revolutionary movement with offices in 68 U.S. cities and powerful allies around the world.

Black against Empire is the first comprehensive overview and analysis of the history and politics of the Black Panther Party. The authors analyze key political questions, such as why so many young black people across the country risked their lives for the revolution, why the Party grew most rapidly during the height of repression, and why allies abandoned the Party at its peak of influence. Bold, engrossing, and richly detailed, this book cuts through the mythology and obfuscation, revealing the political dynamics that drove the explosive growth of this revolutionary movement, and its disastrous unraveling. Informed by twelve years of meticulous archival research, as well as familiarity with most of the former Party leadership and many rank-and-file members, this book is the definitive history of one of the greatest challenges ever posed to American state power.

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About the Author:

Joshua Bloom is a Fellow at the Ralph J. Bunche Center at UCLA. He is the co-editor of Working for Justice: The L.A. Model of Organizing and Advocacy and the collection editor of the Black Panther Newspaper Collection. Waldo E. Martin, Jr. is Professor of History at UC Berkeley. He is the author of No Coward Soldiers: Black Cultural Politics in Postwar American, Brown Vs. Board of Education: A Brief History with Documents, and The Mind of Frederick Douglass.

 
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