Black Panther

Artist

George Stowe Jr. (American, active 1970s)
publisher : One Stop Posters (American)

Date

1972

Medium

Offset lithograph

Dimensions

Sheet/image : 35 x 32 in. (88.9 x 81.28 cm)

Credit Line

Hope College Collection

Object Number

2020.64.1

Label

The Black Panther Party (BPP) was a militant Black nationalist organization founded in Oakland, California in 1966 by college students Bobby Seale and Huey Newton. Originally conceived to monitor and defend against abusive policing, the Black Panthers gradually expanded their mission to include free food distribution, educational classes and health care services. Membership in the BPP peaked in the early 1970s before declining in the face of ongoing legal problems, conflicts with other Black Power groups and internal factionalism. The BPP officially disbanded in 1982. The Black Panthers gained national and international notoriety by openly carrying loaded guns as a demonstration of their power and determination to defend their communities. As this image suggests, many Panthers also favored afro hairstyles and other symbols of the Black Power movement, including a single gloved fist.