Black Panther Party Photo History-Commentary

The photo essay was the most enjoyable assignment to date. Not that writing an essay on the history of Valentine’s Day or reviewing the History Channel’s website were not fun but this assignment allowed for me to research and study a subject I thoroughly enjoy.

One of the first things I noticed when researching was the amount of sites that had the same pictures. For this assignment I chose to not only focus on the Black Panther Party but also on some of the most famous photos every taken of the Party. However, the goal in choosing popular photos was not to make it easy on myself but quite the opposite. I wanted to research all of the different sites that contained these pictures and compare what each person wrote about them. It was interesting to read the different captions and stories that accompanied these pictures. Even in small captions, points of view were evident. Of course, I too am guilty of this bias. However, I also believe that there is no such thing as an objective historian. Just in the topic I chose to research I am biased. In essence, I am arguing that the Black Panther Party is more important than another historical subject to research.

In addition to searching for the pictures and having the opportunity to view a variety of Black Panther Party photos another aspect I enjoyed was writing my own captions. As I wrote each caption I tried to think of someone looking at the photo and having no idea who the Panthers were and their historical significance. I wanted each picture and caption to intrigue the viewer to go out and research the Panthers on their own.

Perhaps the only frustrating part of the project was realizing after I completed it that the pictures were not in the order I so desired. I began researching in a certain order and when I published the photos they appeared backwards. In short, the top of the blog shows the last picture of the essay and so on down the line. I wanted viewers to see the last picture first. I attempted to reverse the order but to know avail.

In closing, while it may not seem like much, looking at my blog I realize just how much I have learned from this course and this assignment truly made me look forward to our final project.

Black Panther Party Photo History

Black Panthers line up at a Free Huey rally in DeFremery Park, Oakland, July 28, 1968. After a shootout with the police on October 28, 1967, Minister of Defense Huey P. Newton was arrested and convicted of voluntary manslaughter. His imprisonment and trial caused the Panthers and other activist groups to rally in his defense. In May 1970, Newton's conviction was overturned and following a series of mistrials, Newton was set free. The uniform of the Black Panther Party was black berets, powder blue shirts, black leather jackets, and black pants.
Source: Designer Magazine

Huey P. Newton, Minister of Defense of the Black Panther Party at the Black Panther Party National Headquarters in Oakland, California, August 12, 1968. This photo is perhaps the most famous picture of Newton. On the left side, Newton is holding a gun representing the militancy of the Party and on the other side, Newton is holding a spear representing cultural nationalism and the connection to the third world. The original photo was taken by Ruth-Marion Baruch.
Source: Africawithin.com

Fred Hampton founded the Chicago chapter of the Black Panther Party in November 1968. He started numerous community programs including the Free Breakfast Program for children and a free medical clinic for those without healthcare. Hampton also convinced Chicago's street gangs to cease fighting and announce a truce. Known for his charismatic speaking style and public speaking, Hampton became one of the most influential leaders in the Black Power Movement until his untimely death. Hampton and the Panthers had routninely been the targets of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and his COINTELPRO (Counterintelligence Program). On the early morning of December 4, 1969, Hampton was murdered in his sleep by the FBI and local police in Chicago, Illinois. His death caused outrage throughout the country and only added to the already tense situation between the Black Panther Party and FBI.
Source: Injustice Busters

Co-founders of the Black Panther Party-Chairman Bobby Seale (left) and Minister of Defense Huey P. Newton (right). Behind Seale and Newton is the Oakland Povery Center, which became the Panthers first office in Oakland, California, 1966.
Source: Social Justice Movements Website/Columbia University

The Black Panther Party was started in October, 1966 in Oakland, California by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. This picture, taken in Oakland, California, November 1966, is of the original six members of the Black Panther Party. From top left to right: Elbert "Big Man" Howard, Huey P. Newton, Sherman Forte, Bobby Seale. Bottom: Reggie Forte and Little Bobby Hutton.
Source: Marxist Internet Archive

Malcolm X, like other popular historical figures, is the subject of numerous websites on the internet. There are sited devoted to Malcolm X’s life, death, and legacy. Along with Columbia University’s The Malcolm X Project, www.brothermalcolm.net is perhaps the most comprehensive, website dedicated to the life of Malcolm X. The site is run by the Africana Studies department at the University of Toledo and what the brothermalcolm.net lacks in presentation it certainly makes up for in content.

The homepage of brothermalcolm appears plain, lacking graphics and various search functions. There are no banners, advertisements, or multiple colors. To the user unfamiliar with Malcolm X, they may pass by this site because the homepage does not indicate all that the site has to offer. In short, brothermalcolm is like a house one passes by that does not look appealing on the outside. However, once inside, the user realizes all the wonderful aspects it has to offer. While there may not directly be any interactive or flash functions there is a section on the right side of the homepage which explains that various technological advances have allowed users to view and hear Malcolm X in a variety of ways. Moreover, the creators of the site provide links to Google, YouTube, and the Malcolm X Project. When the user clicks the sites they connect to numerous video clips of Malcolm X available on the internet. I was pleasantly surprised at this function. I did not know a number of these clips, videos, and interviews were available on the internet. On the left side of the homepage in white there are all the possible sections to search throughout the website. The background is black and contains a silhouette of Malcolm X. However, other than the silhouette, the homepage remains lacking in presentation.

The websites best attributes are the “Photographs” and “Speeches” sections. Upon entering each of these sections the background stays black and a smaller version of the homepage appears at the top listing the possible sections to explore and the silhouette of Malcolm X. In the “Speeches” section, there is a timeline of all of Malcolm’s X’s important speeches, interviews, and statements. However, rather than simply listing the speeches, there are links to each speech. The speeches are media files and to hear Malcolm X’s words rather than simply reading them provides an entirely different experience.

If anyone was looking for any picture of Malcolm X they will be able to find it on this site. The “Photograph” link of the site is divided up into four sections (Malcolm Little, Detroit Red, Malcolm X, and Malik Shabazz/Omowale). Each section contains hundreds of photos of Malcolm X. Using the arrow buttons to navigate the user can easily browse all of the images. In addition, music of the particular time period in which Malcolm X lived plays in the background if the user leaves the volume on while looking at photos.

One of the obvious weaknesses of the site is the inconsistency. Excluding the “Photograph” and “Speeches” sections all of the other areas in the site have different colored backgrounds, fonts, and text. There appears to be no rhyme or reason for the changes and every page is different. One could conclude that different people worked on various sections and no one consulted beforehand. For example, when clicking the “Chronology” section, the background changes to white. The font changes and the color of the text becomes light green. While the chronology is quite long and mentions all of the important events in Malcolm X’s life it does not seem to match with the rest of the site because of the color and font changes.

There are multiple sections that provide valuable resources for those interested in studying Malcolm X either from a scholarly standpoint or as a novice. The “Bibliography” section is very useful. Again though, the colors change to blue and white along with the font. Moreover, the links to other sections of the site now appear on the bottom of the page. While these changes add to the inconsistency, the site contains links to a wealth of scholarship on Malcolm X. The bibliography is divided into sections including books dedicated to speeches, dissertations, compact discs, and videos. The “Webliography” section, again shifts in colors to green and white but offers an enormous amount of hyperlinks to sites ranging from historian and scholars to conferences on Malcolm X and sites from around the world.

Another positive aspect of the website is the section labeled “What’s New.” This section shows the new conferences and debates, which focus on Malcolm X in the twenty first century. Along with the “Introduction,” the “What’s New” section is valuable in that they demonstrate that the website continues to build. The creators of the site explain that they are constantly updating and improving the site and include a section where users can email information and ideas. Often time sites have not been updated for ten years. This is not the case with brothermalcolm.

Overall for what this site lacks in consistency and presentation it makes up for in content. The website does not appear to put forth any particular argument except admiration for Malcolm X. Clearly Malcolm X’s ideology is a subject of debate. However, this site avoids the mistake of anointing Malcolm X into sainthood. Often times with biographical sites, the creators describe the subject in mythical proportions. The subject is either a hero or villain. This site avoids those pitfalls. This site is a benefit to either the scholar or the novice and shows that looks can be deceiving.