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Rating: 
Summary: This is THE book on the Black Panthers!
Review: Interested in the original Black Panthers? Read books on them? Seen a movie? Heard the hype? Well now is the time to read for yourself the ACTUAL WORDS of those who lead the movement. Familarize yourself with the ideology of the organization and it's goals and objectives. Review the speeches of Huey P. Newton, Bobby Seale, Eldrige Cleaver and others. This book will give the reader an insightful view into the true workings and mindset of the Panthers...without the bias hype, or romantizing of the organization. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Introduction
Review: Knowing absolutely nothing about the Black Panthers I picked up this collection one day and read nearly straight through it. I came away with what I think is a fairly good idea of the goals of the Black Panther Party, not the same one I had generally heard or been taught growing up. Instead of them being the black racists many tend to think they are, what would be the equal opposite of the KKK (who, versus the Panthers' few years of existence, have been operating for more than 100 years), I learned that they could be more adequately labeled as classists, in the Marxist-Lenin tradition. As Eldridge Cleaver, one-time minister of information for the Black Panther Party, "You speak of an 'undying love' for black people. An undying love for black people that denies the humanity of other people is doomed. It was an undying love of white people for each other which led them to deny the humanity of colored people and which has stripped white people of humanity itself." I don't see a lot of "hating whitey" there, as Horowitz and other conservatives would have you believe, but more of a gelling together of the dregs of humanity in an attempt to alter its condition, the stance that Malcolm X eventually evolved to, and, later, the Panthers. Perhaps we as humanity have come a ways, maybe thanks to them, since the Panthers first took up arms, defying the police to beat, shoot or incarcerate them. I say this because eight years ago a similar movement began in the southern highlands of Mexico, another marginalized group taking up arms in order to say,"Take notice, we're not taking it anymore." Instead of being branded thugs and criminals, the Zapatistas captured the hearts and minds of the world and continue their quest for equal rights and protection under the law. According to their own writings (the real beauty of this book), these guys are not the black KKK or black neo-nazis, contrary to some opinion. I found the writings of Eldridge Cleaver, a one-time candidate for president, to be some of my favorite. I'll close with a citation from Julian Bond, which I think sums up what the Black Panther Party was really about: "What the Panthers do more than anything else is they set a standard that young black people particularly want to measure up to...It's a standard of aggressiveness, of militance, of just plain forcefulness, the sort of standard we haven't had in the past. Our idols have been Dr. King who, for all his beauty as a man, was not an aggressive man." Even Dr. King began to take a more aggressive approach before he was gunned down. It's not hate or intimidation, but standing up for oneself as a man. I recommend complementary readings of the Autobiography of Malcolm X and the Wretched of the Earth.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Introduction
Review: Knowing absolutely nothing about the Black Panthers I picked up this collection one day and read nearly straight through it. I came away with what I think is a fairly good idea of the goals of the Black Panther Party, not the same one I had generally heard or been taught growing up. Instead of them being the black racists many tend to think they are, what would be the equal opposite of the KKK (who, versus the Panthers' few years of existence, have been operating for more than 100 years), I learned that they could be more adequately labeled as classists, in the Marxist-Lenin tradition. As Eldridge Cleaver, one-time minister of information for the Black Panther Party, "You speak of an 'undying love' for black people. An undying love for black people that denies the humanity of other people is doomed. It was an undying love of white people for each other which led them to deny the humanity of colored people and which has stripped white people of humanity itself." I don't see a lot of "hating whitey" there, as Horowitz and other conservatives would have you believe, but more of a gelling together of the dregs of humanity in an attempt to alter its condition, the stance that Malcolm X eventually evolved to, and, later, the Panthers. Perhaps we as humanity have come a ways, maybe thanks to them, since the Panthers first took up arms, defying the police to beat, shoot or incarcerate them. I say this because eight years ago a similar movement began in the southern highlands of Mexico, another marginalized group taking up arms in order to say,"Take notice, we're not taking it anymore." Instead of being branded thugs and criminals, the Zapatistas captured the hearts and minds of the world and continue their quest for equal rights and protection under the law. According to their own writings (the real beauty of this book), these guys are not the black KKK or black neo-nazis, contrary to some opinion. I found the writings of Eldridge Cleaver, a one-time candidate for president, to be some of my favorite. I'll close with a citation from Julian Bond, which I think sums up what the Black Panther Party was really about: "What the Panthers do more than anything else is they set a standard that young black people particularly want to measure up to...It's a standard of aggressiveness, of militance, of just plain forcefulness, the sort of standard we haven't had in the past. Our idols have been Dr. King who, for all his beauty as a man, was not an aggressive man." Even Dr. King began to take a more aggressive approach before he was gunned down. It's not hate or intimidation, but standing up for oneself as a man. I recommend complementary readings of the Autobiography of Malcolm X and the Wretched of the Earth.
Rating: 
Summary: Read about this influential org. for yourself
Review: Often we are mislead as to what the black panther party was, or what they stood for. This book will enlighten the reader about the BPP. All of the material was written by BPP members. It comes from interviews from members, BPP newspaper articles, trials, etc. Therefore, there is absolutely no [false] material put forth by someone with a political agenda to discredit the BPP. If you ask any random person what they think of the BPP they will often remark that they are racists, or extremists. This is due to the fact that the media, schools, and state have constantly discredited the BPP, and slandered the black nationalist movement. Read their ideas for yourself, and you make the decision for yourself about the BPP. The only minor flaw about this book is that it was written in I believe '70, before the demise of the BPP. The BPP agenda drastically changed during the time after the book was written. Bobby seale and other leaders strayed away from their militant stance.
Rating:
Summary: Read about this influential org. for yourself
Review: Often we are mislead as to what the black panther party was, or what they stood for. This book will enlighten the reader about the BPP. All of the material was written by BPP members. It comes from interviews from members, BPP newspaper articles, trials, etc. Therefore, there is absolutely no [false] material put forth by someone with a political agenda to discredit the BPP. If you ask any random person what they think of the BPP they will often remark that they are racists, or extremists. This is due to the fact that the media, schools, and state have constantly discredited the BPP, and slandered the black nationalist movement. Read their ideas for yourself, and you make the decision for yourself about the BPP. The only minor flaw about this book is that it was written in I believe '70, before the demise of the BPP. The BPP agenda drastically changed during the time after the book was written. Bobby seale and other leaders strayed away from their militant stance.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Documentary of the Black Panthers
Review: The Black Panthers Speak is a collection of speeches, sayings, drawings, poems, and other writings that were created by members of the Black Panther party. The Black Panthers were groups of black men and women who fought without guns and knives, but with their mouths for freedom for blacks around America. This book tells what the Black Panthers fought for and how they rose up against America.
For anyone who likes documentaries or freedom fighters I would highly recommend this book. It shows the true heart that lies within their fighting, and it shows that they'll never give up.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Documentary of the Black Panthers
Review: The Black Panthers Speak is a collection of speeches, sayings, drawings, poems, and other writings that were created by members of the Black Panther party. The Black Panthers were groups of black men and women who fought without guns and knives, but with their mouths for freedom for blacks around America. This book tells what the Black Panthers fought for and how they rose up against America.
For anyone who likes documentaries or freedom fighters I would highly recommend this book. It shows the true heart that lies within their fighting, and it shows that they'll never give up.
Rating:
Summary: A Powerful Book
Review: this Book should Bring People Together.The Black Panthers wanted a Better Today.still to this day we are facing the same Problems of which they spoke on 30 years back.no misguided words here their own words.a must Read for all to Better understanding Voices of Hope&a Better Tommorow for all future Generations.
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