Files
Download Full Text (222 KB)
Faculty Advisors
Thomas Bynum
Description
The Black Panther Party (BPP) was a socialist political organization that protected and served African American communities in the United States. The BPP focused on protecting communities against police brutality in the 1960s and 70s, and in providing community services in the 1970s-80s. While females were a large percentage of the party’s membership, the BPP has been historically perceived as an ultra-masculine organization and the roles of women in its leadership have been underexplored. In this study, published works and historical documents were used to explore the dynamics of the leadership of women of the BPP, such as Erica Huggins, Angela Davis, Kathleen Cleaver, and Elaine Brown. As many of the male leaders were imprisoned, females made advances and pushed the BPP in a direction that was not often highlighted. Even though the women were resilient and showed their value to the revolutionary organization, gender bias and the sexist views from male leaders made it a continuous struggle to move forward. This social order was a major contributor to the downfall of the organization. Altogether, this study illustrates the essential roles women played in the BPP in the context of a social hierarchy that challenged their authority.
Publication Date
2020
Recommended Citation
McCornell, Lamar J., "Empowering Women: An Examination of How the Activism of Kathleen Cleaver, Elaine Brown, Erica Huggins, and Angela Davis Transformed the Black Panther Party" (2020). Undergraduate Research Posters 2020. 1.
https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/u_poster_2020/1
Student Publication
This item is part of the McNair Scholars Program.
