Book Summary and Reviews of The Black Panther Party by David F. Walker

The Black Panther Party by David F. Walker

The Black Panther Party

A Graphic Novel History

by David F. Walker

  • Published:
  • Jan 2021, 192 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

A bold and fascinating graphic novel history of the revolutionary Black Panther Party.

Founded in Oakland, California, in 1966, the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was a radical political organization that stood in defiant contrast to the mainstream civil rights movement. This gripping illustrated history explores the impact and significance of the Panthers, from their social, educational, and healthcare programs that were designed to uplift the Black community to their battle against police brutality through citizen patrols and frequent clashes with the FBI, which targeted the Party from its outset.

Using dramatic comic book-style retellings and illustrated profiles of key figures, The Black Panther Party captures the major events, people, and actions of the party, as well as their cultural and political influence and enduring legacy.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"This nuanced, accessible history of The Black Panther Party doesn't shy away from the complexity of the political movement, nor does it fall into the trap of painting the diverse group as uniformly heroes or villains ... Artist Kwame Anderson balances text and images skillfully, and even the wordiest sections feel spacious, while he lends cinematic visual pacing to the many heated interactions between activists and police." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Containing the informational density of a textbook and the brisk page compositions, dramatic framing, characterful art, and rich colors of a comic book, Walker and Anderson's work covers the titular organization's history as a revolutionary group and its less-documented dedication to community service." —Booklist (starred review)

"Research and clarity are poured onto the pages of this richly detailed account of the formation, service, and dissolution of the Black Panther Party." —School Library Journal

This information about The Black Panther Party was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

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Author Information

David F. Walker

David F. Walker is an award-winning comic book writer, author, filmmaker, journalist, and educator. His work in comic books includes Shaft, winner of the Glyph Award for Story of the Year, Power Man and Iron Fist, Nighthawk, Fury, Secret Wars: Battleworld, Cyborg, The Army of Dr. Moreau, and Number 13. He is also the creator of the critically-acclaimed YA series The Adventures of Darius Logan and the author of the graphic novel biography The Life of Frederick Douglass. Recognized as a leading scholar expert of African American cinema, Walker produced one of the definitive documentaries on the topic of Blaxploitation films, Macked, Hammered, Slaughtered, and Shafted.

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