Product Description

The Black Panther Party for Self Defense, formed in the aftermath of the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965, remains one of the most controversial movements of the 20th-century. Founded by the charismatic Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, the party sounded a defiant cry for an end to the institutionalized subjugation of African Americans. The Black Panther newspaper was founded to articulate the party's message and artist Emory Douglas became the paper's art director and later the party's Minister of Culture.Douglas's artistic talents and experience proved a powerful combination: his striking collages of photographs and his own drawings combined to create some of the era's most iconic images, like that of Newton with his signature beret and large gun set against a background of a blood-red star, which could be found blanketing neighborhoods during the 12 years the paper existed.This landmark book brings together a remarkable lineup of party insiders who detail the crafting of the party's visual identity.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #282341 in Books
• Published on: 2007-02-06
• Released on: 2007-02-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Review
"...gives much needed space to Douglas' work with numerous full-page reproductions." -- Art on Paper

"...these lost visual artifacts are faithfully preserved and contextualized. Douglas finally gets his due." "Handsomely designed..." "Douglas' art was never brought into mainstream commerce the way hip-hop art and design were, so today it is as powerful as similar expressions by Goya, Daumier, George Grosz and other great political artists." -- New York Times Book Review

"...this tome collects some of the potent and resonant images and collages Douglas created..." -- Identitytheory.com

"Douglas finally gets his due." -- New York Times

About the Author
Sam Durant is a Los Angeles-based artist. Danny Glover, the accomplished actor, producer, and director best known for his Lethal Weapon movies, attended San Francisco State during the years the Black Panther party was active in the Bay Area. He's credited the party with having a profound influence on both his creative development and political consciousness. Amiri Baraka is a writer and political activist who lives in Newark, New Jersey. Kathleen Cleaver, attorney, author, and senior lecturer at Yale University and Emory Law School, joined the Black Panther Party in 1967. St. Clair Bourne is a veteran filmmaker. Colette Gaiter is an associate professor at the University of Delaware. Greg Morozumi is artistic director of the EastSide Arts Alliance in Oakland, California. Sonia Sanchez is a poet.

Customer Reviews

VERNACULAR SPECTACULAR!!!!!!!!!
Sometimes when images from newspapers or TV are taken out of context they can fall flat out of meaning or context. Not so for the revolutionary work of Emory Douglas. Douglas who was the Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party from 1968-1980 and it's weekly newspaper artist amassed more works for the paper in a short period than most artists in a lifetime. But quantity is not the focus here but quality, growth and diversity. Emory Douglas is a prolific artist; his one page pieces included in the Black Panther newspaper were captivating and profoundly moved individuals all over the world no matter what language they spoke. His work has influenced every generation of artists/writers/activists who found their way into his work. It is interesting to note that while Emory's finished work was incredibly elaborate looking his tools of choice were simple pen, marker, tape and paper. His palette always represented and reflected the working class.
Black Panther: The Revolutionary Art of Emory Douglas focuses on many of Emory's best works and includes forward and texts from former Panther Chairman Bobby Seale, Kathleen Cleaver, Amiri Baraka (still NJ Poet-Lauriat in my book)and Danny Glover among a few.

A definite must for anyone and everyone!!!!!!!

Black Panther Art
This is a must-have for the Black Panther memorabilia collector, the African American art collector or any great art book lover's collection! A beautiful and unique book. The pages are printed on a paper that really makes it look like the original Black Panther papers. I love this book.