To kick-off Black
History Month here at UMSL, a UPB Lunch and Learn was held titled “Women in the
Black Panther Movement” on February 7th. Some of our Ambassadors
went to this event to show support and educate themselves on one of America’s
most historical and influential groups for civil rights in our country.
What are your
first thoughts when you hear the words Black Panthers? Do the images of hyper-masculine
men appear? Or do you get the image of a group of men who organized a breakfast
program for young minorities so that they could do better in school? The latter
unlike the former is something that most people haven’t had the chance to hear
about or see until they do the research themselves. Another aspect of the Party
that is not widely known is the fact is that most of the organization consisted
of women. The Black Panthers: Vanguards
of the Revolution documentary explores legacy of the Party and the role of
women in The Black Panther Party.
The women such as
Deborah Johnson, Ericka Huggins, Kathleen Clever, Ora Williams, and Phyllis
Johnson just to name a few had a very strong impact on the Party as a whole.
Phyllis Johnson was responsible for answering phones and Ora Williams making
breakfast and others were to aid in contacting member of Congress. These
positions may seem very mundane compared to what was being portrayed in the
media. However, these leadership roles were the glue that held the organization
together.
But there were
times that the women did challenge their current roles and spread their message
throughout media. They thought if they were being portrayed as they were:
strong, intelligent, and independent, they could potentially empower other
women to stand up for the issues that they believed in. So the next time you think
of The Black Panthers, also think about how much of an impact women had on the
Party as a whole.
Join us the rest
of the month at other Black History Month events, which can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1379664855412003/
.
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