Black Against Empire

The History and Politics of the Black Panther Party

By: Joshua Bloom, Waldo E. Martin Jr.

Narrated by: Ron Butler

In Oakland, California, in 1966, community college students Bobby Seale and Huey Newton armed themselves, began patrolling the police, and promised to prevent police brutality. Unlike the Civil Rights Movement that called for full citizenship rights for blacks within the US, the Black Panther Party rejected the legitimacy of the US government and positioned itself as part of a global struggle against American imperialism. In the face of intense repression, the Party flourished, becoming the center of a revolutionary movement with powerful allies around the world.

Black Against Empire is the first comprehensive overview and analysis of the history and politics of the Black Panther Party. The authors analyze key political questions, such as why so many young black people across the country risked their lives for the revolution, why the Party grew most rapidly during the height of repression, and why allies abandoned the Party at its peak of influence.

Bold, engrossing, and richly detailed, this book cuts through the mythology and obfuscation, revealing the political dynamics that drove the explosive growth of this revolutionary movement and its disastrous unraveling.

©2013 Joshua Bloom and Waldo E. Martin, Jr. (P)2016 Tantor

Critic reviews

"A prodigiously researched work, utilizing academic literature, personal memoir, and conversations with former Black Panther members and associates...." ( Publishers Weekly)

Factual history behind the rise & fall of the BPP

Over the years I have heard various stories regarding the Black Panther Party. Some positive...most negative. I wanted a clear unadulterated history and this book provides that! Starting with the foundation of the movement, rise within the Black community, allies and enemies. Also how the party fell apart unfortunately. I now have a greater understanding and appreciate for their place in our Black story.

Most informative

This is one of the best historical accounts of the Black Panther Party that seeks to analyze the movement from a neutral perspective. Anyone who is a fan of historical literature will appreciate the work that went into this book. It unveils the good, the bad, and the ugly around the movement and it’s protractors.

Great book

Awesome book. Love the actual history. this should be mandatory reading in highschool s everywhere.

Learn a lot!

Learned a lot of things I did not know! Confirmed what I did know! Great listen!

Very informative

Before this book, my knowledge of the BBP was extremely shallow. I learned a lot.