Black Panthers for Beginners

Black Panthers for Beginners is a graphic novel by Herb Boyd. He has also written other books about African American leaders and heroes. The book mainly focuses on the historical importance of the black panthers an why they were so influential at the time.

During the mid-1960s a militant group was formed in Compton California in order to protect and ensure the development of the black community. Huey Newton and his friends were fed up with the way black people were being treated and were angry at the slow progress of the non-violent movement. So he and his followers sought to fight back against an oppressive government and racism. The book mostly focuses on the internal conflicts of the panthers and how the FBI sought to separate the organization.

This book takes you on the rise and fall of the bath panthers. The author does a good job of being unbiased and letting his own opinion stay out of the book. He gives both sides equal treatment and one side not gaining and edge. Throughout the book the pictures show the panthers as guardians and protectors of people and their rights but also as the aggressor and the feared. The police on the other hand are made out to be the zoo keepers and the protectors of the old flawed ways.  I think anyone who wants to learn more about the history of the black panthers would enjoy this book as it shows their accomplishments and their failures.

Book Review by Chris Z.