Black Panthers (1968)

Synopsis

This film was shot during the summer of 1968 in Oakland, California around the meetings organized by the Black Panthers Party to free Huey Netwon, one of their leaders, and to turn his trial into a political debate.

They tried and succeed in catching America’s attention.



In the summer of 1968, people arrive in Oakland to protest Huey P. Newton's arrest.

Newton is himself interviewed and talks about his poor treatment while incarcerated and also talks about the ideals of the Black Panther movement which includes protecting the black community from the police, informing them of their rights, and taking advantage of license to carry firearm laws in order to arm Panthers to police the police.

Other people are interviewed, including Kathleen Cleaver who talks about the natural hair movement and the increasing importance of women in positions of authority in the Black Panther movement.

The film ends with Newton's conviction for manslaughter and a hate crime involving two police officers shooting the window of a Black Panther office where Newton's picture had been hung in the front window.

Cast: H. Rap Brown, Stokely Carmichael, Eldridge Cleaver, Ron Dellums, James Forman, Huey P. Newton, Bobby Seale, Kathleen Cleaver

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