Black Against Empire

The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party

De: Joshua Bloom, Waldo E. Martin Jr.

Narrado por: Ron Butler

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 US, the Black Panther Party rejected the legitimacy of the US 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 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.

©2013 Joshua Bloom and Waldo E. Martin, Jr. (P)2016 Tantor

Reseñas de la Crítica

"A prodigiously researched work, utilizing academic literature, personal memoir, and conversations with former Black Panther members and associates...." ( Publishers Weekly)

Factual history behind the rise & fall of the BPP

Over the years I have heard various stories regarding the Black Panther Party. Some positive...most negative. I wanted a clear unadulterated history and this book provides that! Starting with the foundation of the movement, rise within the Black community, allies and enemies. Also how the party fell apart unfortunately. I now have a greater understanding and appreciate for their place in our Black story.

Most informative

This is one of the best historical accounts of the Black Panther Party that seeks to analyze the movement from a neutral perspective. Anyone who is a fan of historical literature will appreciate the work that went into this book. It unveils the good, the bad, and the ugly around the movement and it’s protractors.

Insightful!

Great content explaining the origin of various strategies, concepts and key leaders in the party.

Very Informative

Excellent read! Tears down misconceptions about 'The Black Panther Party for Self Defense' and informs us as to how and why such misconceptions existed.

Oh, Baby...

Burn baby burn. In boot camp during Woodstock and the moon landing, we loved these guys, and the journalists.

Amazing history of which I knew little

This history of the Black Panthers is so informative; I've learned so much. The were active when I was a kid growing up in Boston so I certainly knew of them along with the Students for a Democratic Society. I saw protests against the Vietnam War, civil unrest, race riots and more on the news. There were riots in Boston even. I understood many of the reasons, but this history gave me a broader understanding of how the Black Panthers came to be, what law enforcement and the government did to try to break them down, and why the organization ended.

I listened to this for Black History Month, but you can read or listen to this at any time. I recommend that you do, whether you know nothing or you know a lot about them. The narration is excellent which is important when there are so many names, dates, and activities.

Vital information

This information should be in every American history textbook. Particularly poignant in a post 2020 America

Scholarly but not stuffy

Black against empire provides readers with a primer into the politics, context, evolution and ultimate collapse of the party. It's use of primary sources like the BPP publication and writings from prominent activists paints a detailed picture without getting caught in the weeds.

Deep dive!!

This was so very well researched and thorough! I am so glad that I selected this title to enhance my knowledge on this subject. I learned so much! Thank you to the authors and the narrator as well! Extremely well done!!

A Detailed Approach. Much Appreciated

This deal dive was great. I felt the authors were fairly unbiased in describing both the glorious and inglorious aspects of the party. I felt the conclusion came off as mildly tone deaf in regards to struggles that continue in America and around the world, but that may be due to me reading this is 2020/2021.