The Revolution Has Come : Black Power, Gender, and the Black Panther Party in Oakland

"In The Revolution Has Come Robyn C. Spencer traces the Black Panther Party's organizational evolution in Oakland, California, where hundreds of young people came to political awareness and journeyed to adulthood as members. Challenging the belief that the Panthers were a projection of the leadership, Spencer draws on interviews with rank-and-file members, FBI files, and archival materials to examine the impact the organization's internal politics and COINTELPRO's political repression had on its evolution and dissolution. She shows how the Panthers' members interpreted, implemented, and influenced party ideology and programs; initiated dialogues about gender politics; highlighted ambiguities in the Panthers' armed stance; and criticized organizational priorities. Spencer also centers gender politics and the experiences of women and their contributions to the Panthers and the Black Power movement as a whole. Providing a panoramic view of the party's organization over its sixteen-year history, The Revolution Has Come shows how the Black Panthers embodied Black Power through the party's international activism, interracial alliances, commitment to address state violence, and desire to foster self-determination in Oakland's black communities."--Publisher's description In The Revolution Has Come, Robyn C. Spencer Traces The Black Panther Party's Organizational Evolution In Oakland, California, Examining How Its Internal Politics Along With External Forces Such As Cointelpro Shaped The Party's Efforts At Fostering Self-determination In Oakland's Black Communities. Seize The Time : The Roots Of The Black Panther Party In Oakland, California -- In Defense Of Self-defense -- Moving On Many Fronts : The Black Panther Party's Transformation From Local Organization To Mass Movement -- Inside Political Repression, 1969-1971 -- Revolution Is A Process Rather Than A Conclusion : Rebuilding The Party, 1971-1974 -- The Politics Of Survival : Electoral Politics And Organizational Transformation -- I Am We : The Demise Of The Black Panther Party, 1977-1982. Robyn C. Spencer. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 241-252) And Index. Cover 1 Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 Introduction 18 1. Seize the Time: The Roots of the Black Panther Party in Oakland, California 24 2. In Defense of Self-Defense 52 3. Moving on Many Fronts: The Black Panther Party’s Transformation from Local Organization to Mass Movement 78 4. Inside Political Repression, 1969–1971 105 5. “Revolution Is a Process Rather Than a Conclusion”: Rebuilding the Party, 1971–1974 131 6. The Politics of Survival: Electoral Politics and Organizational Transformation 160 7. “I Am We”: The Demise of the Black Panther Party, 1977–1982 194 Conclusion 219 Notes 222 Bibliography 258 Index 270 A 270 B 270 C 271 D 272 E 272 F 272 G 273 H 273 I 273 J 273 K 274 L 274 M 274 N 274 O 275 P 275 R 275 S 276 T 276 U 276 V 277 W 277 Y 277