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A Panther Is a Black Cat: An Account of the Early Years of The Black Panther Party Its Origins, Its Goals, and Its Struggle for Survival
An insider’s look at the formative years of the Black Panther Party, this raw, sympathetic portrayal is as fresh today as when first published in 1971. Reginald Major knew and worked with leaders of the Party prior to its organization, and from this intimate vantage point he captured events as the Panthers set the example for black resistance across the country. This edition includes a new introduction by the author.
- GenresHistory
310 pages, Paperback
First published January 23, 2007
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June 18, 2022
Originally published in 1971, this book was republished 25 years later. Reginald Major is a very good writer, but it was hard to read this book about the Black Panther Party (BPP) due to its organization, which was thematic. The chapters skipped around timelines, and spent too much time on the era and on inconsequential people and events. It was hard to understand whether Major thought the Black Panthers spent too much time trying to build alliances with other groups or whether they were too independent. He is clearly a big fan of Eldridge Cleaver and secondarily of Huey Newton. He details how the BPP were systematically victimized by the FBI and the pigs (cops), with murders, imprisonment, unaffordable bail, biased judges, etc.
Displaying 1 of 1 review