Interesting that there's no mention of Elaine Brown --perhaps reflecting the Panthers'
schism?
Ted M.
radman wrote:
> LEST YOU FORGET: WOMEN LED BLACK PANTHERS, TOO
>
> <http://www.insidedenver.com/drmn/local/article/0%2C1299%2CDRMN_15_12407%2C00.html>
>
> by Bob Jackson, News Staff Writer
> Friday, February 2, 2001
>
> History might not remember that women wielded great power in the
> Black Panther Party, but Kathleen Cleaver does.
>
> "One thing needs to be set straight," Cleaver said Thursday. "Women
> did hold high positions in the party. The hierarchy of the Panther
> party had more women than the hierarchy of any state legislature or
> police department or any other civil-rights organization."
>
> Cleaver, who was recently in Denver to film introductions to a series
> of movies on Black Panther history, was the highest-ranking woman in
> the Panthers. She was the group's communications secretary from 1967 to
> 1971.
>
> A lawyer, writer, historian and scholar, Cleaver was once married to
> Eldridge Cleaver, minister of information for the Black Panthers.
>
> She is now a law professor at Emory and Cardozo law schools and
> serves on the faculty of Sarah Lawrence College and the Yale University
> graduate school.
>
> Cleaver is also writing a book, "Memories of Love and War," about her
> 30-year involvement in the struggle to end colonialism and racism.
>
> "I've had five different fellowships that took care of my expenses
> and gave me the free time to work on the book I'm trying to finish,"
> she said from her home in Connecticut.
>
> Cleaver filmed her intros at the Gemini Tea Emporium, 2860 Welton St.
> The series of movies by Starz Encore channel and BET Movies are called
> "Heritage: The Panther Perspective." They will air each Friday during
> February, which is Black History Month, on AT&T Digital Channel 535.
>
> Other air dates are Feb. 13 at 7:40 pm; Feb. 19 at 7:50 pm; Feb 23 at
> 6 pm; and Feb. 27 at 9:30 pm.
>
> "The Heritage series will regularly showcase movies and documentaries
> that take a historic look at the contributions and experience of
> African-Americans," said Chelsye Burrows, director of multicultural
> communications for Encore Media Group.
>
> "It's crucial that people, in particular our youth, develop a sense
> of history, a history of how blacks have resisted oppression," Cleaver
> said.
>
> It's also important to understand that the goals of the Black
> Panthers have yet to be met, she said.
>
> "The community is suffering," Cleaver said. "There is still violence
> and terrible housing. There's still oppression and bad health."
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Feb 06 2001 - 21:04:49 EST