How the Black Panthers turned self-defense into community power

How the Black Panthers turned self-defense into community power

Inside the Oakland movement that confronted police brutality and built revolutionary social programs. The story of the Black Panther Party begins long before its name appeared in headlines. Oakland in the mid-1960s was a city where police harassment shaped daily life for Black residents. Traffic stops turned violent without warning, beatings were commonplace, and complaints rarely reached the courts. It was a neighborhood reality that lived far …