Up Against the Wall: Violence in the Making and Unmaking of the Black Panther Party - Softcover

Austin, Curtis J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1557288755 ISBN 13: 9781557288752

Publisher: University of Arkansas Press, 2008

Synopsis

Curtis J. Austin's Up Against the Wall chronicles how violence brought about the founding of the Black Panther Party in 1966 by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, dominated its policies, and finally destroyed the party as one member after another - Eldridge Cleaver, Fred Hampton, Alex Rackley - left the party, was killed, or was imprisoned. Austin shows how the party's early emphasis in the 1960s on self-defense, though sorely needed in black communities at the time, left it open to mischaracterization, infiltration, and devastation by local, state, and federal police forces and government agencies. Austin carefully highlights the internal tension between advocates of a more radical position than the Panthers took, who insisted on military confrontation with the state, and those such as Newton and David Hilliard, who believed in community organizing and alliance building as first priorities. Austin interviewed a number of party members who had heretofore remained silent. With the help of these stories, Austin is able to put the violent history of the party in perspective and show that the "survival" programs, such as the Free Breakfast for Children program and Free Health Clinics, helped the black communities they served to recognize their own bases of power and ability to save themselves.

About this title

About the Author

Curtis J. Austin is an associate professor of history and codirector of the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Elbert "Big Man" Howard was a founding member of the Black Panther Party and the editor of the party's newspaper.

From the Inside Flap

Curtis J. Austin s Up Against the Wall chronicles how violence brought about the founding of the Black Panther Party in 1966 by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, dominated its policies, and finally destroyed the party as one member after another?Eldridge Cleaver, Fred Hampton, Alex Rackley?left the party, was killed, or was imprisoned. Austin shows how the party s early emphasis in the 1960s on self-defense, though sorely needed in black communities at the time, left it open to mischaracterization, infiltration, and devastation by local, state, and federal police forces and government agencies. Austin carefully highlights the internal tension between advocates of a more radical position than the Panthers took, who insisted on military confrontation with the state, and those such as Newton and David Hilliard, who believed in community organizing and alliance building as first priorities. Austin interviewed a number of party members who had heretofore remained silent. With the help of these stories, Austin is able to put the violent history of the party in perspective and show that the ?survival programs, such as the Free Breakfast for Children program and Free Health Clinics, helped the black communities they served to recognize their own bases of power and ability to save themselves.

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Arkansas Press
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1557288755
• ISBN 13: 9781557288752
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 488