The Black Panthers: Portraits from an Unfinished Revolution

October 2016 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Black Panther Party, an organization that remains one of the most misunderstood of the 20th century. But beyond the labels of “extremist” and “violent” that have marked the party, and beyond charismatic leaders like Huey Newton, Bobby Seale, and Eldridge Cleaver, are the ordinary men and women who made up the Panther rank and file.

In The Black Panthers, photojournalist Bryan Shih and historian Yohuru Williams offer a reappraisal of the party’s history and legacy. Through stunning portraits, poignant interviews, and illuminating essays by leading scholars, the book reveals the grit and battle scars of the foot soldiers of the party, some of whom eventually became top party leaders themselves—and the undying love for the people that kept them going.

With essays by Peniel Joseph, Jeffrey O.G. Ogbar, Nico Slate, Rhonda Y. Williams, Jama Lazerow, and Alondra Nelson