The Enduring Legacy of Portland's Black Panthers: The Roots of Free Healthcare, Free Breakfast, and Neighborhood Control in Oregon

by Joe Biel, Aaron Dixon (Foreword)

In the 1960s through 1980s, the Black Panther Party rose up throughout the United States, envisioning a world without systemic racism and police violence. This is the story of Portland, Oregon's chapter of the Party, told from original interviews, first-hand accounts, and extensive research, including police surveillance documents. This account shows a vivid picture of neighborhood activists determined to improve their community by creating their own social services, and wildly succeeding--despite the best attempts of police, city officials, and media to paint them as violent extremists, and to spy on, infiltrate, and violently suppress their activities. Portland's Black Panther chapter innovated healthy free breakfasts for children in poverty, the longest-running Panther free health clinic, the Panthers' first dental clinic, and a powerful system of self-directing neighborhood associations. Joe Biel's account shows that the Portland chapter's successes resound to this day, with current programs for free breakfasts in schools, Portland's strong neighborhood associations, and even the Oregon Health Plan owing their existence to Black Panther initiatives. Despite a racist city hall and police force, Black Panthers in Portland persisted, outlasting most branches in the United States and permanently changing the city for the better. All author proceeds are being donated to the movement.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Politics

191 pages, Paperback

Published February 7, 2023

About the author

Joe Biel is a writer, activist, journalist, filmmaker, and publisher. He is the founder and co-owner of Microcosm Publishing and co-founder of the Portland Zine Symposium. He often tours the U.S. with his books and films. He has been featured in the Utne Reader, Portland Mercury, Oregonian, Broken Pencil, Readymade, and Bicycle Times.

Reviews

[KC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Broke my heart, but also inspired me to spread the truth about the Black Panthers in Portland and do better in this city. People need to know this history. Stay informed.

[Gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't think it was very well-written. It brings up a lot of things, but in a kind of glancing way that doesn't really do them justice. Also, Biel uses some important words wrong (or at least kind of weirdly) and gets hung up at times on his own whiteness.

However, there are a lot of good topics brought up with a good list of other books and words to refer to.

I did appreciate the connection of the Panthers to the Oregon Health Plan, and was saddened but not surprised by all the reminders of Portland's historic racism and corruption, especially regarding the police.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 - To anyone who lives in, loves, hates, and/or talks about Portland: this should be required reading. The work Biel did to gather all this information on the Portland Black Panther Party when there is no other source material of this nature is so impressive. Btw, the Portland Black Panther Party was the longest running (and one of the most impactful) in the country, and yet no one knows about it…

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers the work of folks working on providing better food an health care to the Black community in Portland, and puts that work into the larger context of the political movements in the US that were happening at the time. That's a very powerful way of connecting the dots and showing the impact.

[Liza · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The most valuable lesson of the Panthers is that intersectional movements are stronger than groups working in isolation."

I learned some new things about the Black Panthers, the writing style felt accessible to me. It's obviously inaccurate to say I enjoyed the book, but i found it valuable.

[Dawson Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

More people should read this wonderful little book. It does a great job weaving local history of Portland with the big picture of the Black Panthers on the national stage. Check it out!

[Analog Exile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seems reasonably well researched with some original material from interviews. An interesting local history

[Alex Milner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great short read, both for historic & inspirational purposes. Power to the people baby

[Lafcadio · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise history.