The Black Panther Party Legacy
Photos by Sana Javeri Kadri from the People's Kitchen Collective Free Breakfast Program at the beautiful Life Is Living celebration in West Oakland.
Inspired by the Survival Programs of the Black Panther Party, People’s Kitchen Collective cooks a Free Breakfast each year at the Life is Living festival in West Oakland. Since 2011, we have served over 7,000 breakfasts made from donations by local food businesses and urban farms. The menu has included creamy grits, collard greens, tofu or egg scramble, and sweet potato biscuits. It is a meal made with love, by community for community, so that all of us can survive together in the face of rampant white supremacy and gentrification. This a meal to feed hope and fuel the resistance. We have looked to these resources -- foundations, archives, libraries, and bookstores, to learn about the powerful history on whose shoulders we stand.
These projects and organizations are continuing the legacy of the Panthers in the Bay Area and beyond.
It’s About Time - Black Panther Party Legacy & Alumni
Compiled by Black Panther Party archivist and former Panther Billy X. Jennings the Black Panther Party Alumni website documents the legacy of the revolutionary organization that served tens of thousands of people through their survival programs and continues to impact our collective political vision and practice to this day.
Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation
The Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation is a cultural institution based in Oakland. “Our mission is to preserve and promulgate the history, ideals, and legacy of the Black Panther Party. We do this by developing campaigns, curating experiences, producing cultural content and showcasing artifacts that bring the legacy of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense to new generations. We place specific focus on curating content and experiences that showcase the extraordinary women that drove much of the Black Power movement and unsung community members whose tireless work made the Black Panther Party a success.”
'One of the biggest, baddest things we did': Black Panthers' free breakfasts, 50 years on’
by Ruth Gebreyesus with photos by Sana Javeri Kadri, Oct. 18, 2019
The party’s program to feed kids, launched in 1969, became a national phenomenon. Former members joined a celebration in the party’s birthplace.
‘If You Want to Experience Liberation, Black Women Must Be at the Table’
by Jocelyn Jackson, July 10, 2020
Black women have stood at the center of the social justice movement for generations, including as part of the Black Panthers Party, which made food a crucial form of protest.
Women of the Black Panther Party Mural
In the words of Jilchristina Vest, leader of the Women of the Black Panther Party Mural, “In conjunction with the #SayHerName movement, in response to the continued violence and systematic oppression of BIPOC, and as a result of the chronic blindness towards and seeming invisibility of - Black Women, I decided to assemble a team and install a 2000 square foot mural... on my house. This public art installation will honor the rarely credited names and accomplishments of our warriors, a group of people whose only goal was to protect and better the lives of Black Americans, a public art piece that will honor the creators and the legacy of the more than 60 community programs, clinics, and schools that they built. The WOMEN of The Black Panther Party.”
Marcus Books
The nation’s oldest Black bookstore, Marcus Books has shaped history as much as the books they sell. Founded by Drs. Raye and Julian Richardson, the bookstore is family owned and operated to this day and carries a comprehensive selection of books by and about the Panthers.
Bestsellers are available via bookshop. To place an order for other books call (510) 652-2344 or stop in M-Sat 10-6pm. Shipping and gift certificates can be mailed nationwide. Please donate to their 60th anniversary fundraiser.
West Oakland Branch, Oakland Public Library
The West Oakland Library has been an anchor for the People’s Kitchen Collective’s Free Breakfast since the beginning. A loved community center, this branch also has a wide collection of African American nonfiction.
African American Museum & Library, Oakland
A unique non-circulating reference library, this place is a jewel for researchers, students, and anyone interested in African American history. Its collection consists of approximately 12,000 volumes by or about African Americans. The collection includes oral histories, children’s books, videos & DVDs, and a seed-lending library.
Video by Yuyu McGeoy from People’s Kitchen Collective Free Breakfast Program at the Life is Living celebration in West Oakland
