The Black Panthers

by Gene Marine

The Black Panthers (1969) by Gene Marine illustrates just how powerful the arrival of the Black Panther Party was. To set the scene just a little bit: It’s February 1967. Eldridge Cleaver, just two months out of prison, is working at Ramparts magazine, which began publishing his Soul on Ice essays while he was still locked up. Cleaver, not yet a Black Panther, is a part of an organization which is hosting Malcolm X’s widow Betty Shabazz for a series of Bay Area speaking engagements surrounding the second anniversary of Malcolm’s assassination. The newly formed, but already notorious, Black Panther Party for Self Defense is hired to provide security for Mrs. Shabazz while she is in the Bay Area.

Genres: History, Politics

224 pages, paperback

First published January 1, 1969

Reviews

[Santiago R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good review of the BPP founders' life. Marine presents the ideological influences and junctures that lead Newton, Seale and Celaver to craft a movement for creating awareness around racisim in the US.
However, from the very beginning the author recognizes the inherent limitations of him -as a white citizen- for fully understanding the struggles that derived in the existence of the Black Panthers (which is the same reason why, in my opinion, the last chapter and the conclusions presented on it are a bit off). Still, this book contains a very solid approach to the importance that this movement got during the late 60s. Strongly recommended.

[Bubba Gonzalez · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're new to the black panthers or looking for an introduction into them then this is an ok book. Gene Marine is a white journalist trying to introduce the motives and methods of the Panthers to a white audience in an honest but palpable way to hopefully get them to understand their own racial bias that exist? I say that as a question cause that is what he says in his last chapter but the book itself, I don't feel, he does it. The book is very informative, but in the way a history book is informative. It spits a lot of facts at you but not much in the way of insight. It makes sense though because Gene is a journalist and that is what journalist do.
It felt like the longest parts of the book were just regurgitating news and trial transcripts of the Huey Newton trial and police and Panther statements after a big shootout between them where Eldridge Cleaver was shot and Bobby Hutton was killed.
I personally picked up this book hoping to learn more about how The Black Panthers organized and hopefully more about how they were involved with their communities with more insight into their theory and motives beyond just their 10 points. I'm sure there are other books related to the Panthers that might do a better job doing that so I'll keep looking.
I did get two things from this book though, and that is learning of Fanon's Wretched of the Earth book which is said to have inspired Newton to start the Panthers with Bobby Seale, and knowledge of Julius Nyerere effort to build socialism in Tanzania and a few essays/books he made to help understand his theories. So I am looking forward to checking that out.

[Holden Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you read this today, and the subject said BLM instead of Black Panthers, it is remarkably synonymous for the times. Sure the specifics and history are different, but the sentiment and approach are fascinating.
For myself, as a white creator, connected to Hip Hop, trying to understand how to ally, I found myself realy connecting to Gene. Like this man could be 1960's me.
He approaches the issues in such a way where it's almost hard to remember this is 1969 and not 2020.
The systemic issues he describes with regards to police departments, well, hard to remember it's 2020 now and he is describing 1969. Worth the read.