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A Taste of Power: A Black Woman's Story
"I have all the guns and all the money. I can withstand challenge from without and from within. Am I right, Comrade?" So said Elaine Brown on becoming the first female leader of the Black Panther Party in 1974. By that time the group had grown from a small local outfit into a national revolutionary movement, described by FBI director J. Edgar Hoover as 'the greatest threat to the internal security of the country'.
Brown's gripping memoir charts her rise from an impoverished neighbourhood in Philadelphia, through a political awakening during a bohemian adolescence, and on to her time as a foot soldier for the Panthers and her ascent into its upper echelons. As an unforgettable portrayal of Black girlhood in 1950s Philadelphia and the revolutionary experience in 1960s California, A Taste of Power is a seminal exploration of power, prejudice and the struggle for justice.
Brown's gripping memoir charts her rise from an impoverished neighbourhood in Philadelphia, through a political awakening during a bohemian adolescence, and on to her time as a foot soldier for the Panthers and her ascent into its upper echelons. As an unforgettable portrayal of Black girlhood in 1950s Philadelphia and the revolutionary experience in 1960s California, A Taste of Power is a seminal exploration of power, prejudice and the struggle for justice.
480 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1992
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15141 people want to read
About the author
Elaine Brown
1 book77 followersElaine Brown (born March 2, 1943) is an American prison activist, writer, singer, and former Black Panther Party chairman who is based in Oakland, California. Brown briefly ran for the Green Party presidential nomination in 2008. She currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, and is a founder of Mothers Advocating Juvenile Justice.
When Newton fled to Cuba in 1974 in the face of murder charges, he appointed Brown to lead the Party. The first woman to do so, Elaine Brown chaired the Black Panther Party from 1974 until 1977. In her 1992 memoir A Taste of Power, she wrote about the experience:
"A woman in the Black Power movement was considered, at best, irrelevant. A woman asserting herself was a pariah. If a black woman assumed a role of leadership, she was said to be eroding black manhood, to be hindering the progress of the black race. She was an enemy of the black people.... I knew I had to muster something mighty to manage the Black Panther Party."
During Brown's leadership of the Black Panther Party, she focused on electoral politics and community service. In 1977, she managed Lionel Wilson’s victorious campaign to become Oakland’s first black mayor. Also, Brown developed the Panther's Liberation School, which was recognized by the state of California as a model school.
Brown stepped down from chairing the Black Panther Party less than a year after Newton’s return from Cuba in 1977 when Newton authorized the beating of Regina Davis, the administrator of the Panther Liberation School. This incident was the point at which Brown could no longer tolerate the sexism and patriarchy of the Black Panther Party (A Taste of Power, p. 444). She left the United States with her daughter, Ericka, and entered psychotherapy to end her addiction to Thorazine.
Brown recorded two albums, Seize the Time (Vault, 1969) and Until We're Free (Motown Records, 1973). Seize the Time includes "The Meeting," the anthem of the Black Panther Party.
After leaving the Black Panther Party in order to raise her daughter Ericka, Brown worked on her memoir, A Taste of Power. She eventually returned to the struggle for black liberation, especially espousing the need for radical prison reform. From 1980 to 1983 she attended Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles. From 1990 to 1996, she lived in France. In 1996, Brown moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and founded Fields of Flowers, Inc., a non-profit organization committed to providing educational opportunities for impoverished African-American children. In 1998, she co-founded the grassroots group Mothers Advocating Juvenile Justice to advocate for children being prosecuted as adults in the state of Georgia. Around the same time, she continued her advocacy for incarcerated youth by founding and leading the Michael Lewis Legal Defense Committee. Michael Lewis, also known as “Little B,” was sentenced to life in prison at the age of 14 for a murder that Brown believes he did not commit. Brown would eventually write a non-fiction novel, The Condemnation of Little B, that analyzes the prosecution of Lewis as part of the greater problem of the increased imprisonment of black youth.
(from Wikipedia)
When Newton fled to Cuba in 1974 in the face of murder charges, he appointed Brown to lead the Party. The first woman to do so, Elaine Brown chaired the Black Panther Party from 1974 until 1977. In her 1992 memoir A Taste of Power, she wrote about the experience:
"A woman in the Black Power movement was considered, at best, irrelevant. A woman asserting herself was a pariah. If a black woman assumed a role of leadership, she was said to be eroding black manhood, to be hindering the progress of the black race. She was an enemy of the black people.... I knew I had to muster something mighty to manage the Black Panther Party."
During Brown's leadership of the Black Panther Party, she focused on electoral politics and community service. In 1977, she managed Lionel Wilson’s victorious campaign to become Oakland’s first black mayor. Also, Brown developed the Panther's Liberation School, which was recognized by the state of California as a model school.
Brown stepped down from chairing the Black Panther Party less than a year after Newton’s return from Cuba in 1977 when Newton authorized the beating of Regina Davis, the administrator of the Panther Liberation School. This incident was the point at which Brown could no longer tolerate the sexism and patriarchy of the Black Panther Party (A Taste of Power, p. 444). She left the United States with her daughter, Ericka, and entered psychotherapy to end her addiction to Thorazine.
Brown recorded two albums, Seize the Time (Vault, 1969) and Until We're Free (Motown Records, 1973). Seize the Time includes "The Meeting," the anthem of the Black Panther Party.
After leaving the Black Panther Party in order to raise her daughter Ericka, Brown worked on her memoir, A Taste of Power. She eventually returned to the struggle for black liberation, especially espousing the need for radical prison reform. From 1980 to 1983 she attended Southwestern University School of Law in Los Angeles. From 1990 to 1996, she lived in France. In 1996, Brown moved to Atlanta, Georgia, and founded Fields of Flowers, Inc., a non-profit organization committed to providing educational opportunities for impoverished African-American children. In 1998, she co-founded the grassroots group Mothers Advocating Juvenile Justice to advocate for children being prosecuted as adults in the state of Georgia. Around the same time, she continued her advocacy for incarcerated youth by founding and leading the Michael Lewis Legal Defense Committee. Michael Lewis, also known as “Little B,” was sentenced to life in prison at the age of 14 for a murder that Brown believes he did not commit. Brown would eventually write a non-fiction novel, The Condemnation of Little B, that analyzes the prosecution of Lewis as part of the greater problem of the increased imprisonment of black youth.
(from Wikipedia)
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April 22, 2022
Now reissued as a Penguin Modern Classic, Elaine Brown’s memoir of her turbulent life is a compulsively readable, unique slice of American social, cultural and political history. Brown, whose primary focus is now on areas such as prison reform, rose to prominence as part of the leadership of the controversial Black Panthers, from their base in Oakland, California. Here Brown looks back at her life, starting with her childhood in 1940s America. She spent her early years in a dilapidated corner of Philadelphia, and her experiences there left her with a deeply fragmented sense of self. She was raised by her mother in relative poverty while her estranged father lived in Germantown, a haven for upper-middle-class Black professionals. She lived in a series of rundown houses and apartments but was educated in a school that promoted whiteness as the ideal, creating a lasting sense of confusion over her own identity and possible place in the world.
In her twenties Brown abandoned Philly for California looking for a way to reinvent herself. She worked in an exclusive nightclub, hobnobbed with celebrities including Frank Sinatra, and through happenstance gained an awareness of radical, leftist political thought. It was the early sixties and her commitment to these ideas led her to the growing Black Power movement and later full-blown membership of the Black Panther party. The Panthers were already notorious, loved by some, vilified by others, singled out by J. Edgar Hoover as the single greatest threat to America’s internal security. The Panthers believed in revolutionary struggle and armed resistance to oppression. Their programmes included extensive health and welfare projects that benefited members of local Black communities. but the increasing instability of their leader Huey P. Newton also embroiled the organisation in outbursts of internal violence and disturbing purges.
Brown chronicles the Panthers’ shifting, inner dynamics, the years of police harassment and brutality, assassinations and the growing unease she experiences at the actions of Huey P. Newton its leader, as well as her sometimes-intimate partner; and someone Brown briefly replaced during his flight to Cuba in the seventies. She meets with celebrity supporters from Jean Seberg to Jane Fonda, travels to North Korea and Vietnam and works tirelessly to promote political liberation. But Newton’s growing, drug-enhanced instability coupled with an awareness of the need for a feminist perspective finally forced her to abandon her ties to the organisation. Brown’s autobiographical portrait's sharply rendered, evocative and richly-detailed. An absolutely fascinating, important, still-relevant piece. This has now been optioned by Netflix for a feature film which I’m already looking forward to viewing.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Penguin Modern Classics for an ARC
In her twenties Brown abandoned Philly for California looking for a way to reinvent herself. She worked in an exclusive nightclub, hobnobbed with celebrities including Frank Sinatra, and through happenstance gained an awareness of radical, leftist political thought. It was the early sixties and her commitment to these ideas led her to the growing Black Power movement and later full-blown membership of the Black Panther party. The Panthers were already notorious, loved by some, vilified by others, singled out by J. Edgar Hoover as the single greatest threat to America’s internal security. The Panthers believed in revolutionary struggle and armed resistance to oppression. Their programmes included extensive health and welfare projects that benefited members of local Black communities. but the increasing instability of their leader Huey P. Newton also embroiled the organisation in outbursts of internal violence and disturbing purges.
Brown chronicles the Panthers’ shifting, inner dynamics, the years of police harassment and brutality, assassinations and the growing unease she experiences at the actions of Huey P. Newton its leader, as well as her sometimes-intimate partner; and someone Brown briefly replaced during his flight to Cuba in the seventies. She meets with celebrity supporters from Jean Seberg to Jane Fonda, travels to North Korea and Vietnam and works tirelessly to promote political liberation. But Newton’s growing, drug-enhanced instability coupled with an awareness of the need for a feminist perspective finally forced her to abandon her ties to the organisation. Brown’s autobiographical portrait's sharply rendered, evocative and richly-detailed. An absolutely fascinating, important, still-relevant piece. This has now been optioned by Netflix for a feature film which I’m already looking forward to viewing.
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher Penguin Modern Classics for an ARC
February 21, 2022
What a woman! What a story! What a time to have lived through! But this is more than a book trading on its fiery, bold, possibly controversial contents - Brown can really write.
The first part is superb on the complicated pathology of race as Brown, born in 1943 and living in poverty in Philadelphia is bright enough to go to 'mixed' schools/university, and tries to think of herself as socially/culturally 'white' and not like most other Black girls. Alongside this is an account of a girl's coming of age: the push-pull of her relationship with an emotionally-needy mother, the heartbreak of dating a Jewish boyfriend whose parents will disown him for having a Black girlfriend, the friendships and struggle for selfhood.
There is an unexpected interlude when Brown moves to California, takes up waitressing and finds herself mixing in Frank Sinatra's circle until her political consciousness is awakened:
After this, the tone of the book changes to recount Brown's experience in the Black Panther Party in the 1960s and 1970s, a time when people still believed in revolution in America. With all-out war with Hoover's FBI determined not to allow the rise of another 'Black messiah' after the assassinations of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, this is a bloody period and Brown spares us none of it.
A story of tragedy and triumphs, of a struggle against racism and misogyny, capitalism and conservative authoritarianism - we know how this will end, but it's glorious and exhilarating living vicariously through an era when politics really might - might - have taken a different turn.
Thanks to Penguin for an ARC via NetGalley
The first part is superb on the complicated pathology of race as Brown, born in 1943 and living in poverty in Philadelphia is bright enough to go to 'mixed' schools/university, and tries to think of herself as socially/culturally 'white' and not like most other Black girls. Alongside this is an account of a girl's coming of age: the push-pull of her relationship with an emotionally-needy mother, the heartbreak of dating a Jewish boyfriend whose parents will disown him for having a Black girlfriend, the friendships and struggle for selfhood.
There is an unexpected interlude when Brown moves to California, takes up waitressing and finds herself mixing in Frank Sinatra's circle until her political consciousness is awakened:
I saw the poverty of their lives, the poverty of little black girls who live on the same planet, in the same world where people, people like me, drank expensive bottles of champagne that clouded the mind with bubbles that obliterated them, us; where men, powerful men, made big decisions about their own lives and footnotes about the lives of them, us, that pushed us back, back into nothing little corners on the outskirts of life.
After this, the tone of the book changes to recount Brown's experience in the Black Panther Party in the 1960s and 1970s, a time when people still believed in revolution in America. With all-out war with Hoover's FBI determined not to allow the rise of another 'Black messiah' after the assassinations of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, this is a bloody period and Brown spares us none of it.
A story of tragedy and triumphs, of a struggle against racism and misogyny, capitalism and conservative authoritarianism - we know how this will end, but it's glorious and exhilarating living vicariously through an era when politics really might - might - have taken a different turn.
Thanks to Penguin for an ARC via NetGalley
December 17, 2008
elaine brown was appointed charperson of the black panther party in the 70s, after huey p. newton was sent packing off to jail again. she headed up the party during a fractious period in its history. she was responsible for dismantling national offices & bringing the focus of the party back to oakland, culminating in bobby seale & herself running for elected office. they cut off the panther 21 awaiting trial on the east coast, eldridge cleaver chillaxin' in algiers after escaping prison, & tons of other party members all across the country who had dedicated their lives, & in some cases, their freedom, to the party. it was kind of a dick move, but they were operating under duress, having been thoroughly flummoxed & wrong-footed by the dirty tricks of the FBI & their COINTELPRO scheme, which targeted the black panther party heavily. all of this is detailed in the memoir, & it's all pretty interesting, listening to brown justify her choices & explain that she may have made different choices if she'd had access to more or correct information. the fact that she is just about the only high-profile woman to come out of the black panther party is also interesting, & she doesn't shy away from addressing the role of sexism & misogyny within the party. however, one thing i disliked about the book, & the reason i gave it only three stars, is because brown herself kind of puts down other women a lot. there's a lot in here about her competitiveness with other women, for men, for power in the party, for whatever, & it's sad. & she writes a lot about all the different well-known party members with whom she had sexual or romantic relationships. i also found this depressing. have you ever noticed that when dudes write memoirs, maybe they'll mention sexual or romantic relationships, but they tend to keep that stuff to a minimize unless they are addressing a really significant relationship, like someone they marry or whatever (unless they are rock stars detailing their groupie conquests, which is a different issue). but memoirs by women spend a lot of time addressing romantic/sexual relationships, as if these relationships are intertwined with the fabric of the story they are telling. contrast brown's memoir against bobby seale's. or flying too close to the sun against fugitive days. see what i mean? this isn't to say that romantic/sexual relationships aren't important & should be separated from political life--in fact, i think the ladies might have a better handle on that shit than the men do. but i want people to think about WHY these relationships seem to be so much more significant to women. don't you think it's weird?
January 10, 2016
A Taste Of Power
This book is a more than a memoir, it is a classic tragedy. In A Taste Of Power, Elaine Brown recounts her life and exeperiences in the Black Panther Party. From the very first chapter in which she is announcing her leadership status to the general assembly, I was intrigued. However, the first chip in the romantic picture of the Panthers also, occurs here. The next third of the book is spent discussing Elaine’s childhood. Raised in a poor neighborhoods in Philadelphia by her mother, we see the impact of poverty, her father’s absence and segregation in her life. She drops out of college and ends up in California working as a waitress at a club. After breaking up with a her famous, married boyfriend. She becomes involved with the Black Power Movement.
The second third of the book was my favorite part. The beginnings of the Black Panther Party and its goals were glorious and heady stuff. With the implementation of schools, free clinics, free bus rides to prisons and other social services, I understood how Elaine got caught up in the fever of the times. Also, I learned a lot about the Panther Party during this time. I had no idea that so many young, black men were killed by police during assaults on the Panther headquarters. The police with riot gear, tear gas, harassing and beating protestors, with people being hauled off to jail for trumped up charges, reminded me of Ferguson today. Unfortunately, you also start to see the chasms developing within the group. The demise starts subtle, with patriarchy and sexism. Next, problems of infighting and distrust. When violence or ‘discipline’ was added, I knew I was reading about an implosion.
The last third of the book was spent reading about the downward spiral of the party. Drugs, violence within and without, infiltration and cointelpro, sexism, patriarchy, it was all too much. The end was inevitable. Still, I’m glad this book exists. It is a lesson to the next generation on ‘What Not to do’. I’ve been told there was a lot of push back from former Panthers questioning the veracity of Elaine’s version of events. Well, like the cliche goes “There’s her side, his side and the Truth”. I don’t know if Elaine’s version of the Black Panther Party is completely accurate, but I think the overall picture and general feeling is probably true. She paints an unflattering picture of the Panthers but she includes herself and shares a lot of her personal life, personal choices and flaws. I kept wondering about her daughter and who was caring for this child? Was the father ever involved? There are parts where the tone is a bit self serving, or perhaps naive, which is another reason I did not rate this book a ‘5’.
In the end, I wanted a little more than the “flying into the sunset’ ending. An “Afterward” would have been perfect. Just two or three paragraphs on what happened after the end. Answering the questions: Did she ever hear from anyone in the group? How was her relationship with daughter affected? and What is she doing now?
This book is a more than a memoir, it is a classic tragedy. In A Taste Of Power, Elaine Brown recounts her life and exeperiences in the Black Panther Party. From the very first chapter in which she is announcing her leadership status to the general assembly, I was intrigued. However, the first chip in the romantic picture of the Panthers also, occurs here. The next third of the book is spent discussing Elaine’s childhood. Raised in a poor neighborhoods in Philadelphia by her mother, we see the impact of poverty, her father’s absence and segregation in her life. She drops out of college and ends up in California working as a waitress at a club. After breaking up with a her famous, married boyfriend. She becomes involved with the Black Power Movement.
The second third of the book was my favorite part. The beginnings of the Black Panther Party and its goals were glorious and heady stuff. With the implementation of schools, free clinics, free bus rides to prisons and other social services, I understood how Elaine got caught up in the fever of the times. Also, I learned a lot about the Panther Party during this time. I had no idea that so many young, black men were killed by police during assaults on the Panther headquarters. The police with riot gear, tear gas, harassing and beating protestors, with people being hauled off to jail for trumped up charges, reminded me of Ferguson today. Unfortunately, you also start to see the chasms developing within the group. The demise starts subtle, with patriarchy and sexism. Next, problems of infighting and distrust. When violence or ‘discipline’ was added, I knew I was reading about an implosion.
The last third of the book was spent reading about the downward spiral of the party. Drugs, violence within and without, infiltration and cointelpro, sexism, patriarchy, it was all too much. The end was inevitable. Still, I’m glad this book exists. It is a lesson to the next generation on ‘What Not to do’. I’ve been told there was a lot of push back from former Panthers questioning the veracity of Elaine’s version of events. Well, like the cliche goes “There’s her side, his side and the Truth”. I don’t know if Elaine’s version of the Black Panther Party is completely accurate, but I think the overall picture and general feeling is probably true. She paints an unflattering picture of the Panthers but she includes herself and shares a lot of her personal life, personal choices and flaws. I kept wondering about her daughter and who was caring for this child? Was the father ever involved? There are parts where the tone is a bit self serving, or perhaps naive, which is another reason I did not rate this book a ‘5’.
In the end, I wanted a little more than the “flying into the sunset’ ending. An “Afterward” would have been perfect. Just two or three paragraphs on what happened after the end. Answering the questions: Did she ever hear from anyone in the group? How was her relationship with daughter affected? and What is she doing now?
September 30, 2016
Update: Rating changed to 5 stars because of my love for this book. Despite my rating change, my original opinions still stand.
Brown grows up like many black leaders I’ve read about, trying to do well, be respectable and respected despite her the obstacles her race presents to her. She has an absentee father and an emotionally demanding mother. Throughout her childhood and well into adulthood, she tries to fulfill herself through appealing to people’s physical and emotional demands: her mother’s, her fathers, Huey Newton as well as other men in the Black Panther Party, and her various lovers. You can see the toll that her lack of self-care takes on her. It makes for a very wild and interesting ride.
A Taste of Power is the story of Elaine Brown’s quest for identity and purpose through race, love, and womanhood. She discusses growing up poor, her black experience, and how the two influenced her.
This book was a breath of fresh air.
My main point of interest while reading was Brown’s membership and leadership in the Black Panther Party. The stories she tells truly display the fullness of her womanhood despite misogynistic obstacles. She plays the background to someone’s foreground; she is misconstrued as a bossy bitch/lesbian in instances when she takes charge; she gets abused, hypersexualized, and desexualized all in the name of the struggle she wants to represent. And she displays raw human emotion through all of it.
I’ve found that socially conscious African Americans in my generation hold our leaders in history on a pedestal. We hear people talk about the good old days with such nostalgia that we wish we were there ourselves. Sometimes we do talk as if we were there. In an effort to preserve our leaders’ reputations, we talk about them as if they don’t have flaws. To us, they are conservative, respectable, and unshakably united.
Elaine Brown debunks these myths and brings those of us with a mental pedestal back to reality.
Brown takes the fantasy out of the struggle. In history books and media, I always see political and social thought leaders portrayed as a united front and in as few groups as possible. That was not the case. Everyone had different goals and different thoughts on how to reach them. Everyone didn’t get along. People were exploited for the personal gains of another.
They fussed, cussed, fought, and fornicated just like everyone else. I enjoyed her honesty.
My only complain is a big one and it kept this book from getting a 5-Star rating. In each chapter Brown has a set-up to a climactic story. In the beginning, they are simple but as the book progresses they are jam-packed with details. While they are essential to understanding, sometimes I got a little lost. Among the details, it gets a little boring and I was left reading the book and thinking, “Huh? Where is she going with this?”, and found myself still wondering a few pages afterwards. She eventually gets to the point though and the stories themselves are great.
Overall: Great Woman. Great Story. Raw and Real.
Happy Reading!
Teri
Brown grows up like many black leaders I’ve read about, trying to do well, be respectable and respected despite her the obstacles her race presents to her. She has an absentee father and an emotionally demanding mother. Throughout her childhood and well into adulthood, she tries to fulfill herself through appealing to people’s physical and emotional demands: her mother’s, her fathers, Huey Newton as well as other men in the Black Panther Party, and her various lovers. You can see the toll that her lack of self-care takes on her. It makes for a very wild and interesting ride.
A Taste of Power is the story of Elaine Brown’s quest for identity and purpose through race, love, and womanhood. She discusses growing up poor, her black experience, and how the two influenced her.
This book was a breath of fresh air.
My main point of interest while reading was Brown’s membership and leadership in the Black Panther Party. The stories she tells truly display the fullness of her womanhood despite misogynistic obstacles. She plays the background to someone’s foreground; she is misconstrued as a bossy bitch/lesbian in instances when she takes charge; she gets abused, hypersexualized, and desexualized all in the name of the struggle she wants to represent. And she displays raw human emotion through all of it.
I’ve found that socially conscious African Americans in my generation hold our leaders in history on a pedestal. We hear people talk about the good old days with such nostalgia that we wish we were there ourselves. Sometimes we do talk as if we were there. In an effort to preserve our leaders’ reputations, we talk about them as if they don’t have flaws. To us, they are conservative, respectable, and unshakably united.
Elaine Brown debunks these myths and brings those of us with a mental pedestal back to reality.
Brown takes the fantasy out of the struggle. In history books and media, I always see political and social thought leaders portrayed as a united front and in as few groups as possible. That was not the case. Everyone had different goals and different thoughts on how to reach them. Everyone didn’t get along. People were exploited for the personal gains of another.
They fussed, cussed, fought, and fornicated just like everyone else. I enjoyed her honesty.
My only complain is a big one and it kept this book from getting a 5-Star rating. In each chapter Brown has a set-up to a climactic story. In the beginning, they are simple but as the book progresses they are jam-packed with details. While they are essential to understanding, sometimes I got a little lost. Among the details, it gets a little boring and I was left reading the book and thinking, “Huh? Where is she going with this?”, and found myself still wondering a few pages afterwards. She eventually gets to the point though and the stories themselves are great.
Overall: Great Woman. Great Story. Raw and Real.
Happy Reading!
Teri
March 12, 2021
Such a great book! It’s a little slow at the beginning but a really fascinating look inside the BPP. Really sad to see how much work women we’re doing in the party and how much misogynistic resentment and violence was directed at them for being leaders.
September 20, 2021
Rounded up from 4.5 stars.
Elaine Brown lived an extraordinary life in extraordinary times. Politicised in the unlikeliest of ways (an affair with a wealthy white liberal twice her age), Elaine joined the LA chapter of the Black Panther Party in 1969, her initial efforts focused on the newspaper and recording albums. Rising through the ranks, she became party leader in 1973, and was the driving force of its attempts to establish itself as a serious force in Oakland politics and community life, culminating in the election of Oakland's first black mayor (Lionel Wilson, in 1977) and the successful operation of the Oakland Community School, which provided a liberation-oriented education to hundreds of children.
Elaine Brown describes the incredible tensions boiling within the party at all times - dealing with the violent attacks of the police and intelligence agencies, particularly in the early years; the splits over strategy (the extent to which the party should focus on armed insurrection versus community activism); the uncomfortable divide between the underground and overground sections; and, for women, the difficulty of existing in a heavily male-oriented and sometimes violently macho environment - one that embraced feminism at a theoretical but not always a practical level.
Brown's memoir is unique in actively telling the Black Panther story from a woman's perspective; also for clearly representing the strategic shift away from guns and towards institutional politics and community-based Serve the People programs. It forms an important part of the debate that raged during the late 1960s and early 1970s within the New Communist Movement and the Black left as to how to move forward.
This strategic struggle was particularly pronounced in the Panthers, which had won widespread support and notoriety specifically for their embrace of the gun and their call for revolutionary overthrow of capitalism in the US. And yet it became clear all too quickly that the state was prepared to crush any such revolutionary movement, including with targeted assassinations of Panther leaders, shooting up Panther offices, wrongful imprisonment, and elaborate sabotage operations.
With the benefit of hindsight, the transition towards community programmes and a broad progressive alliance with other organisations of the left seems obviously correct; but it was much less obvious at the time, and people on the other side of the debate also have some convincing arguments (Algiers, Third World Capital is an interesting example).
Brown gives an insider's perspective on the decline and collapse of the party - it's interesting to compare her take with, for example, Black Against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party and My People Are Rising: Memoir of a Black Panther Party Captain. Brown emphasises the psychological pressure to which party founder and leader Huey Newton was constantly subjected, and the reciprocal effect this had on his cocaine addiction. Brown stuck to and trusted Huey Newton much longer than most other prominent party leaders did, and her narrative is, predictably, somewhat self-serving. Her analysis is certainly valuable, but it's by no means the last word on the matter.
All in all an enthralling and powerful memoir. I listened to the audiobook, read by the author. Recommended.
Elaine Brown lived an extraordinary life in extraordinary times. Politicised in the unlikeliest of ways (an affair with a wealthy white liberal twice her age), Elaine joined the LA chapter of the Black Panther Party in 1969, her initial efforts focused on the newspaper and recording albums. Rising through the ranks, she became party leader in 1973, and was the driving force of its attempts to establish itself as a serious force in Oakland politics and community life, culminating in the election of Oakland's first black mayor (Lionel Wilson, in 1977) and the successful operation of the Oakland Community School, which provided a liberation-oriented education to hundreds of children.
Elaine Brown describes the incredible tensions boiling within the party at all times - dealing with the violent attacks of the police and intelligence agencies, particularly in the early years; the splits over strategy (the extent to which the party should focus on armed insurrection versus community activism); the uncomfortable divide between the underground and overground sections; and, for women, the difficulty of existing in a heavily male-oriented and sometimes violently macho environment - one that embraced feminism at a theoretical but not always a practical level.
Brown's memoir is unique in actively telling the Black Panther story from a woman's perspective; also for clearly representing the strategic shift away from guns and towards institutional politics and community-based Serve the People programs. It forms an important part of the debate that raged during the late 1960s and early 1970s within the New Communist Movement and the Black left as to how to move forward.
This strategic struggle was particularly pronounced in the Panthers, which had won widespread support and notoriety specifically for their embrace of the gun and their call for revolutionary overthrow of capitalism in the US. And yet it became clear all too quickly that the state was prepared to crush any such revolutionary movement, including with targeted assassinations of Panther leaders, shooting up Panther offices, wrongful imprisonment, and elaborate sabotage operations.
With the benefit of hindsight, the transition towards community programmes and a broad progressive alliance with other organisations of the left seems obviously correct; but it was much less obvious at the time, and people on the other side of the debate also have some convincing arguments (Algiers, Third World Capital is an interesting example).
Brown gives an insider's perspective on the decline and collapse of the party - it's interesting to compare her take with, for example, Black Against Empire: The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party and My People Are Rising: Memoir of a Black Panther Party Captain. Brown emphasises the psychological pressure to which party founder and leader Huey Newton was constantly subjected, and the reciprocal effect this had on his cocaine addiction. Brown stuck to and trusted Huey Newton much longer than most other prominent party leaders did, and her narrative is, predictably, somewhat self-serving. Her analysis is certainly valuable, but it's by no means the last word on the matter.
All in all an enthralling and powerful memoir. I listened to the audiobook, read by the author. Recommended.
October 21, 2017
I don't think I can recommend this book enough. Elaine Brown's autobiography is moving, captivating, and unexpected. Although I knew when all the assassinations of Panthers like John Huggins and Bunchy Carter and Fred Hampton were coming, I still found myself choking back tears when she described their deaths. This book was an illuminating portrayal of the life of one (incredibly smart, daring) woman and of the Party to which she gave so many years of her life.
June 5, 2013
This was an amazing story. It was very eye-opening and brillant.
February 27, 2008
Wow, I can't say enough about how great this book is. On the surface level, it's well-written, well-organized, and very clear. There are some things I wish she had included more details about, but there is a substantial amount about the Panther years.
Probably the only thing I would have liked additionally is more context or perspective, though I'm not sure there would have been room for that. Elaine Brown played such a big role in the Party for so many years, but in some sections she's speaking so personally about it I forgot that she was DOING so much as well, and contributing to this incredible movement.
Her struggles as a black woman were particularly illuminating for me. The things that she did/had to do to accomplish was she did were both saddening and amazing. She addressed many of the issues that the documentary "NO!" does in a different, very personal way, and does a great job of connecting those issues into her day-to-day struggles, and those of the Black Panther Party.
Really fantastic book, I can't recommend it highly enough.
Probably the only thing I would have liked additionally is more context or perspective, though I'm not sure there would have been room for that. Elaine Brown played such a big role in the Party for so many years, but in some sections she's speaking so personally about it I forgot that she was DOING so much as well, and contributing to this incredible movement.
Her struggles as a black woman were particularly illuminating for me. The things that she did/had to do to accomplish was she did were both saddening and amazing. She addressed many of the issues that the documentary "NO!" does in a different, very personal way, and does a great job of connecting those issues into her day-to-day struggles, and those of the Black Panther Party.
Really fantastic book, I can't recommend it highly enough.
December 18, 2011
Wow! This book is important!
Elaine Brown, once leader of the Black Panther Party, tells the story of her life, both before and during her days with the party. She tells of the misogyny of the male Panthers and how the women Panthers just wanted to be treated as equals.
This book taught me a lot of things I didn't know about the Black Panther Party and answered a lot of questions that I had. In addition, the book is written in a way that draws the reader in and makes him/her/hir want to read more. In a lot of ways, it's an action/adventure novel, where I had to wonder how Elaine, as the main character, survived the turmoil happening all around her.
Highly Recommended!
Elaine Brown, once leader of the Black Panther Party, tells the story of her life, both before and during her days with the party. She tells of the misogyny of the male Panthers and how the women Panthers just wanted to be treated as equals.
This book taught me a lot of things I didn't know about the Black Panther Party and answered a lot of questions that I had. In addition, the book is written in a way that draws the reader in and makes him/her/hir want to read more. In a lot of ways, it's an action/adventure novel, where I had to wonder how Elaine, as the main character, survived the turmoil happening all around her.
Highly Recommended!
May 30, 2022
The circumstances of my journey with this book are quite peculiar. Had I not read about Elaine Brown in another book, and found out my mom had been gifted this book 10 years prior, I probably would not have read it. However coincidence found it’s way and I read it. This book is very important in understanding another perspective of many of the inner party conflicts that went down in the BPP, the cleaver split, Huey’s exile, etc. While being critical of the fact it is a single witness account, one can still learn of the persistent sexism in the party, and how Elaine raised a daughter and ran the party. Very intriguing reas 5 stars
August 2, 2024
4.5/5
This is a cataclysm of a memoir. If ever you wanted a measure of the true face of AmeriKKKa between 1943 and 1978, this is one of the most vital documents you could ever consult. Indeed, I would say the worst part of it is that Brown would have hardly been afforded a proper support system for putting out the kind of memoir that her life deserved, aka something that came in multiple volumes, had plenty of room for both endnotes/footnotes and index, and otherwise allowed the material to breath a great deal more than less than 500 jampacked pages could allow for. Otherwise, it's easy to get bowled over by the violence recounted, and a history of the Black Panthers that didn't delve deep into the fundamental levels of abjectness that made folks understand that they would never be able to peaceably negotiate with genocidal antiblackness is of little worth. And if that doesn't get you, the political theory would have a good chance of finishing the job in terms of tonal whiplash, which would be an awful shame considering how good and prescient it is half a century later. Long story short, I am grateful that I did not attempt to read this ten years ago when I first added it or even six years ago when I acquired a copy. Had I not engaged with so many other pieces of hardcore historical testimony soaked in that peculiarly US breed of kyriarchy of the last century, I would not have been in any position to recognize how monumental this work is, and thus how inconceivable it would have been for something like this to be published without any sort of editorial flaw or narrative imbalance. Still, I'd be lying if I called this a favorite, so you'll just have to take my word for it instead of a simple rating that, without this, your education on that topic known as the United States of America is criminally incomplete.
This is a cataclysm of a memoir. If ever you wanted a measure of the true face of AmeriKKKa between 1943 and 1978, this is one of the most vital documents you could ever consult. Indeed, I would say the worst part of it is that Brown would have hardly been afforded a proper support system for putting out the kind of memoir that her life deserved, aka something that came in multiple volumes, had plenty of room for both endnotes/footnotes and index, and otherwise allowed the material to breath a great deal more than less than 500 jampacked pages could allow for. Otherwise, it's easy to get bowled over by the violence recounted, and a history of the Black Panthers that didn't delve deep into the fundamental levels of abjectness that made folks understand that they would never be able to peaceably negotiate with genocidal antiblackness is of little worth. And if that doesn't get you, the political theory would have a good chance of finishing the job in terms of tonal whiplash, which would be an awful shame considering how good and prescient it is half a century later. Long story short, I am grateful that I did not attempt to read this ten years ago when I first added it or even six years ago when I acquired a copy. Had I not engaged with so many other pieces of hardcore historical testimony soaked in that peculiarly US breed of kyriarchy of the last century, I would not have been in any position to recognize how monumental this work is, and thus how inconceivable it would have been for something like this to be published without any sort of editorial flaw or narrative imbalance. Still, I'd be lying if I called this a favorite, so you'll just have to take my word for it instead of a simple rating that, without this, your education on that topic known as the United States of America is criminally incomplete.
July 18, 2021
This book was an eye opener. The image of the Black Panthers in the large society remains to be men in leather, guns and the berets fighting the system.
But in “A Taste of Power: A Black Woman’s Story” by Elaine Brown, she tells HER story and the role of women in this movement.
This was the FIRST time other than hearing the name of Angela Davis that I understand how important women were before, during and after during this era. The level of sexism that both she and her women party members experienced were both alarming and disheartening. It literally destroyed the party. This is a MUST read.
But I was a part of an organization in the past and her books explains the many things that happened when many people with different motives sign up to “liberate” a group of people.
But in “A Taste of Power: A Black Woman’s Story” by Elaine Brown, she tells HER story and the role of women in this movement.
This was the FIRST time other than hearing the name of Angela Davis that I understand how important women were before, during and after during this era. The level of sexism that both she and her women party members experienced were both alarming and disheartening. It literally destroyed the party. This is a MUST read.
But I was a part of an organization in the past and her books explains the many things that happened when many people with different motives sign up to “liberate” a group of people.
September 15, 2023
To be in love with your freer and your abuser at the same time, that is the story of Elaine Brown and most black women in Black Panthers and Civil rights movements in general
I read this book moons ago, like probably at least 20 years ago.
I know I need to read again, but this review is of my initial reaction .
It's hard for me to describe this book in an intelligent articulate way, because 90% of my time reading it , my thoughts were "this is crazy", that's my whole take on her story.
Not just because of her willingness to participate in some of the chaos and fighting that is well known between the Black panthers and police, but I was frustrated with her perturbed sense of empowerment . There are stories of her being physically abuse, sexually assaulted , cheated on , demeaned for most for her time with the Black Panthers , it was tolerated and normalized.
She reports her sexual encounters with different members of the Black panthers. Now of course this was likely related to her spending most of her time and proximity with members, but at times it read as a "story of a Black Panther groupie". It created a false sense of esteem and belonging. I'm sure some of this is due to the 1960's and 70's ideas that there is an association between sexual freedom and women empowerment .
At one point I believe she is describing her arousal to Huey Newton as he is getting high off of cocaine, a bit much for me.
Most of the book was quite disturbing , for me. But as I got older I realized "A Taste of Power" , reflects Black women's blind loyalty to the cause ( the Black cause) with little respect for self. It is a reflection of the loyalty to the Black man , with disregard for self, including our own bodies.
I believe towards the end Ms Brown gets a hold of herself and start to re-evaluate her values , eventually leaving Huey P Newton. However, this is largely related to Newton's escalating drug use violence and paranoia. I'm not sure she ever really left because of a sense of empowerment.
I read this book moons ago, like probably at least 20 years ago.
I know I need to read again, but this review is of my initial reaction .
It's hard for me to describe this book in an intelligent articulate way, because 90% of my time reading it , my thoughts were "this is crazy", that's my whole take on her story.
Not just because of her willingness to participate in some of the chaos and fighting that is well known between the Black panthers and police, but I was frustrated with her perturbed sense of empowerment . There are stories of her being physically abuse, sexually assaulted , cheated on , demeaned for most for her time with the Black Panthers , it was tolerated and normalized.
She reports her sexual encounters with different members of the Black panthers. Now of course this was likely related to her spending most of her time and proximity with members, but at times it read as a "story of a Black Panther groupie". It created a false sense of esteem and belonging. I'm sure some of this is due to the 1960's and 70's ideas that there is an association between sexual freedom and women empowerment .
At one point I believe she is describing her arousal to Huey Newton as he is getting high off of cocaine, a bit much for me.
Most of the book was quite disturbing , for me. But as I got older I realized "A Taste of Power" , reflects Black women's blind loyalty to the cause ( the Black cause) with little respect for self. It is a reflection of the loyalty to the Black man , with disregard for self, including our own bodies.
I believe towards the end Ms Brown gets a hold of herself and start to re-evaluate her values , eventually leaving Huey P Newton. However, this is largely related to Newton's escalating drug use violence and paranoia. I'm not sure she ever really left because of a sense of empowerment.
February 26, 2021
A thorough, fascinating, detailed account of the operations of the Black Panther Party from Elaine Brown, the Black woman who started out as a rank and file member and then became chairman in the 1970s. This book was not as reflective as I imagined or may have hoped it would be, and instead Elaine Brown offers detail and dialogue and insight into her thought processes at the time. While I didn’t really love the way it was written, I’m glad Brown wrote it all down because I think there’s a lot to learn from her experiences.
October 12, 2017
A Taste Of Power is a fascinating account of Elaine Brown's life, from her introduction to the Black Panther Party to her eventual escape from it. I knew very little about the Panthers going into this book and learned so much about them from Brown's experience, including the rampant misogyny that eventually caused her to leave. It is a shame that Huey Newton's legacy seems to have overshadowed hers in popular culture, as she contributed fundamentally to the Panther's Survival Programs, from free meals to their community school. Also, Brown is just someone who led a very interesting life: she grew up in Philadelphia in the 1950s, made an album for Motown Records in the 1960s and even ran for Oakland City Council in the 1970s. A very long book but extremely worth it!
November 19, 2021
Today Ms. Brown is the foremost advocate of releasing child prisoners from the fangs of the prison-industrial complex. But, once upon a time in Amerika she took over from Huey Newton to lead the Black Panther Party. This is the story of a woman assuming command over a frankly chauvinist organization as it plunged into nostalgia, but also insider fare on everything from Huey's coke habit (which would eventually kill him) to her affairs with Hollywood stars such as Jon Voigt (yes, he really was a radical once).
April 30, 2015
I was not really sure how to rate this book. Its a book of her life as well as an account of what life was like as a light skin black female and to also be the first female leader in the black panther party. I must admit she did seem bitter at times about her life. This book is her point of view and as we all know there is more than one side to every story. 2.5 stars at best. To all the people she mentions in this book, it would have been nice to read their viewpoints on elaine brown.
June 1, 2008
I learned about one version of the Panthers' many histories, unfiltered by the pinball machine that was my capitalist american-dream education in this nation's history. A Taste of Power was organized instead by Elaine Brown's incredible life-experience and perspective. I finally got a concentrated break-down of the Panther analysis of class conflict, Huey Newton's theory of intercommunalism, and the process by which the Party entered city and national politics. I finally have a better understanding of Estacion Libre's critique of the BPP's vanguardist philosophy, although Elaine Brown does not offer that analysis at all - actually she ends the memoir pretty abruptly with her escape from the Party.
"I was shaking with fear when it occurred to me that it was important to hold on. Not for them. But for me. If I could withstand the total deprivation of my senses, I might see something that could set me free forever." - Huey Newton on being held in the 'Soul Breaker' cells at Alameda County jail.
"I was shaking with fear when it occurred to me that it was important to hold on. Not for them. But for me. If I could withstand the total deprivation of my senses, I might see something that could set me free forever." - Huey Newton on being held in the 'Soul Breaker' cells at Alameda County jail.
December 23, 2009
As revealing in what she can see as what she can't see, this was an incredibly illuminating account of the black panthers. Both the fierceness of their ideals and the fierceness of their flaws. And a continuous reminder of just how far women have come since those days...though lord knows we haven't come far enough. I know those rumors are out there that she was involved with the FBI. I find it doubtful for all of her flaws, they shine from the book as much as what she believed to be true, and I don't know you could ask more from an autobiography.
May 27, 2016
this is the best book by a panther. period.
October 18, 2024
Well written, good story telling, and interesting look into this era.
September 24, 2023
Sehr inspirierend aber da ich leider nicht allzu viel Allgemeinwissen habe war mir leider bei der Hälfte aller Namen nciht klar wer es ist und ich konnte mich auch selten erinnern ob der Name schonmal genannt wurde - aber das ist jetzt nciht die Schuld des Buches
February 13, 2016
This is the story of Elaine Brown: From a poverty laden childhood in Philadelphia, where her mother demanded she HAVE the best, resulting in days in school surrounded by the children of rich Jewish and Black bourgousie business owners and professionals, and nights at home filled with roaches, ghetto girls and gang members...to a job in a strip club in Los Angeles which leads to romantic liasions with powerful celebrity connections, where the last thing on her mind was "Power to the People"...to becoming a pivotal part of the Los Angeles chapter of the Black Panther Party, eventually moving to the Oakland chapter, becoming Huey Newton's lover, recording albums, working tirelessly as the editor of the newspaper, abruptly becoming national president, spawning a new and unheard of era of female leadership within the highest ranks of the party, immersing herself in Oakland politics, and sadly running away from it all to calm her own fears.
This book was too much of everything: dramatic, sad, inspiring, eye opening, sexual, poetic, thrilling. It provided for a fulfilling and riotous discussion in our bookclub meeting, forcing us to examine the roles of women in the Black Power movement, the significance of sex being used to further the cause, the fluidity of motherhood within the community, the rich history of Oakland, the governments intentional destruction of the BPP through Hoover's implementation of COINTELPRO and the flooding of the ghettoes with drugs, the controversy between Bobby Seale and Elaine, and the brilliance that was Newton, who was eventually destroyed by drugs and too much power.
We were also left to wonder, WAS ALL OF THIS TRUE? Should we really believe Brown's story and portrayal of what went on behind closed doors? The reader will be curious as to her life following her exit from the party, as well.
I loved this book. Will definitely be adding it to my collection.
This book was too much of everything: dramatic, sad, inspiring, eye opening, sexual, poetic, thrilling. It provided for a fulfilling and riotous discussion in our bookclub meeting, forcing us to examine the roles of women in the Black Power movement, the significance of sex being used to further the cause, the fluidity of motherhood within the community, the rich history of Oakland, the governments intentional destruction of the BPP through Hoover's implementation of COINTELPRO and the flooding of the ghettoes with drugs, the controversy between Bobby Seale and Elaine, and the brilliance that was Newton, who was eventually destroyed by drugs and too much power.
We were also left to wonder, WAS ALL OF THIS TRUE? Should we really believe Brown's story and portrayal of what went on behind closed doors? The reader will be curious as to her life following her exit from the party, as well.
I loved this book. Will definitely be adding it to my collection.
July 19, 2018
Elaine Brown, I love you.
I just finished reading her autobiography, and I am absolutely astounded by the brilliance, strength, and determination of this woman. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone that's even vaguely interested in the Black Panther Party or #BlackLiberation in general.
Elaine Brown was a member of the Black Panther Party, eventually serving as the Party Chairman and leading the party during Huey Newton's 3 year exile in Cuba.
She was responsible for securing the Party when it threatened to crumble under the weight of the police, COINTELPRO, and intra-party feuding. Beyond that, she helped the party grow its social, political, and economic power. If she was not forced to flee the Party after Huey's return from Cuba, she could have lead the Party to great heights. Her Party, and not Huey's Party, could have paved a road toward liberation for all Black, poor, and oppressed people.
Beyond telling the story of her life, it paints a picture of the Party that I had never been exposed to before. I was under no delusion that the Party uphelf feminist principles, but the toxic masculinity that permeated its ranks honestly disgusts me.
More than that, I learned that two of my heroes, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale, weren't as strong as the Patriarchy wants us to believe. Bobby was barely the cofounder of the party, and Huey - despite his impressive intellect - was ultimately insecure and had little to do with much of "his" Party's success. The early success was due to David Hilliard, and after Hilliard was imprisoned, most of the success was due to Elaine Brown, my new personal hero.
Elaine Brown, you inspire me. One day, I hope to be as strong as you and to have the Power you did.
I just finished reading her autobiography, and I am absolutely astounded by the brilliance, strength, and determination of this woman. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone that's even vaguely interested in the Black Panther Party or #BlackLiberation in general.
Elaine Brown was a member of the Black Panther Party, eventually serving as the Party Chairman and leading the party during Huey Newton's 3 year exile in Cuba.
She was responsible for securing the Party when it threatened to crumble under the weight of the police, COINTELPRO, and intra-party feuding. Beyond that, she helped the party grow its social, political, and economic power. If she was not forced to flee the Party after Huey's return from Cuba, she could have lead the Party to great heights. Her Party, and not Huey's Party, could have paved a road toward liberation for all Black, poor, and oppressed people.
Beyond telling the story of her life, it paints a picture of the Party that I had never been exposed to before. I was under no delusion that the Party uphelf feminist principles, but the toxic masculinity that permeated its ranks honestly disgusts me.
More than that, I learned that two of my heroes, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale, weren't as strong as the Patriarchy wants us to believe. Bobby was barely the cofounder of the party, and Huey - despite his impressive intellect - was ultimately insecure and had little to do with much of "his" Party's success. The early success was due to David Hilliard, and after Hilliard was imprisoned, most of the success was due to Elaine Brown, my new personal hero.
Elaine Brown, you inspire me. One day, I hope to be as strong as you and to have the Power you did.
July 7, 2020
A very important read that I highly recommend.
From the very first sentence of A Taste of Power where she announced her leadership, I was intrigued to learn more about Elaine Brown and her experiences with the Black Panther Party.
This book is more than an autobiography or memoir, it’s a Shakespearean tragedy. Its the story of Elaine Brown. From a poverty laden childhood in Philadelphia to running the Black Panther Party, and everything in between.
It’s mind-boggling to think about all the great works the Panthers did for the uplifting of the Black people/ community to see the Party come to its demise the way it did. Forces such as: COINTELPRO, infiltration, sexism, patriarchy, violence, and drugs all played roles. Sad as it may be, one could argue its ending was inevitable.
Overall, this book was very eye-opening and exposed things about the glorified Black Panther Party I never knew. Things seldom discussed beyond the surface.
One of my favorite quotes from the book by Elaine Brown, “Racism and sexism are equal partners in my oppression.” Those words still hold true today for black women.
From the very first sentence of A Taste of Power where she announced her leadership, I was intrigued to learn more about Elaine Brown and her experiences with the Black Panther Party.
This book is more than an autobiography or memoir, it’s a Shakespearean tragedy. Its the story of Elaine Brown. From a poverty laden childhood in Philadelphia to running the Black Panther Party, and everything in between.
It’s mind-boggling to think about all the great works the Panthers did for the uplifting of the Black people/ community to see the Party come to its demise the way it did. Forces such as: COINTELPRO, infiltration, sexism, patriarchy, violence, and drugs all played roles. Sad as it may be, one could argue its ending was inevitable.
Overall, this book was very eye-opening and exposed things about the glorified Black Panther Party I never knew. Things seldom discussed beyond the surface.
One of my favorite quotes from the book by Elaine Brown, “Racism and sexism are equal partners in my oppression.” Those words still hold true today for black women.
January 30, 2009
This is pretty good. Its got me on a whole new Black Panther Party focus. After Assata, elaine gives a good account of what was going on in southern california and the who Karenga/COINTELPRO situation.
lots of interesting stories about tons of people. the stories about huey and bunchy are crazy. definitely check it out.
what did i learn from it so far?
in 1970, blacks were 50% of the prison population and we still are!
the FBI had a plan to get rid of "black messiah type people" or "to create one" The question is who were they and who are they? Karenga, Barack, Jesse, Obama, Sharpton, Colin, TD Jakes, do we really know? hmmm
Eldridge Cleaver despite all his "greatness" was a convicted rapist.
The Panthers had heeeelllllllaaa guns. hella guns. thats wassup.
The panthers in Oakland used to discipline members with a lash, Elaine was whipped 20 times at one point for something she was set up for by a jealous man, bobby seale. how bout that for internalized oppression, and gender issues. how bout that?
lots of interesting stories about tons of people. the stories about huey and bunchy are crazy. definitely check it out.
what did i learn from it so far?
in 1970, blacks were 50% of the prison population and we still are!
the FBI had a plan to get rid of "black messiah type people" or "to create one" The question is who were they and who are they? Karenga, Barack, Jesse, Obama, Sharpton, Colin, TD Jakes, do we really know? hmmm
Eldridge Cleaver despite all his "greatness" was a convicted rapist.
The Panthers had heeeelllllllaaa guns. hella guns. thats wassup.
The panthers in Oakland used to discipline members with a lash, Elaine was whipped 20 times at one point for something she was set up for by a jealous man, bobby seale. how bout that for internalized oppression, and gender issues. how bout that?
March 7, 2013
I can't recommend this more highly. SO important. If you ever had any questions or even an inkling of interest into the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, please start here. I agree that this should be on bookshelves everywhere next to the autobiography of Malcolm X.
I was so moved by Elaine Brown that I dedicated an International Women's Week blog post to her on Black Feminists dot. Org.
I was so moved by Elaine Brown that I dedicated an International Women's Week blog post to her on Black Feminists dot. Org.
February 19, 2014
I was totally captivated by the in-depth discussion of the Black Panther Party told adroitly through the eyes of a female leader Having heard only of Angela Davis as a prominent outspoken female during the period I was enthralled to discover the dynamic leadership of Elaine Brown Her life's story entwined with her Party affiliation makes for captivating reading
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