COMRADE SISTERS:
WOMEN OF THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY
August 9, 2025–March 2, 2026
Comrade Sisters: the family we choose; a bond that defies location, time, and biology; lives well lived
The Black Panther Party (BPP) was founded in Oakland, California, in October 1966 by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale to advance the social, political, economic, and spiritual uplift of Black people and other marginalized groups.
Rapidly expanding to over 40 states, the BPP established 60 community survival programs, including a Free Breakfast for School Children Program, People’s Free Medical Clinics, food programs, senior services, prison support initiatives, and educational centers. Although women represented more than half of the party and were instrumental in creating and sustaining these programs, few know their story.
Comrade Sisters: Women of the Black Panther Party is a visual exhibition based on the book of the same name by Stephen Shames and Ericka Huggins and curated by the Museum of Social Justice. This exhibition presents 50 commemorative photographs by celebrated photojournalist Stephen Shames, who first met members of the BPP in 1966 as a 19-year-old Berkeley student. With unprecedented access, he captured intimate behind-the-scenes moments, revealing women party members acting as leaders; serving communities; caring for families; and engaging in grassroots campaigns to elect mayors, assembly members, judges, and members of neighborhood councils.
Shames’s archive showcases a diverse range of their work—from marches and demonstrations to teaching and working with children, from nurturing their own families to providing community services. These images reveal the essential role of these women in party leadership and community organizing.
Throughout the US, Comrade Sisters were mothers, sisters, aunties, cooks, housecleaners, churchgoers, high school and university students, teachers, artists, factory and retail workers, poets, dancers, writers, and musicians. Primarily between the ages of 14 and 21, they decided to transform the conditions for those facing injustice. What motivated them? Love.
As Ericka Huggins notes, “These stories could fill volumes.” Consider this exhibition a very late and humble thank you to these Comrade Sisters who acted with courage and carried their memories throughout their lives and careers.
Rapidly expanding to over 40 states, the BPP established 60 community survival programs, including a Free Breakfast for School Children Program, People’s Free Medical Clinics, food programs, senior services, prison support initiatives, and educational centers. Although women represented more than half of the party and were instrumental in creating and sustaining these programs, few know their story.
Comrade Sisters: Women of the Black Panther Party is a visual exhibition based on the book of the same name by Stephen Shames and Ericka Huggins and curated by the Museum of Social Justice. This exhibition presents 50 commemorative photographs by celebrated photojournalist Stephen Shames, who first met members of the BPP in 1966 as a 19-year-old Berkeley student. With unprecedented access, he captured intimate behind-the-scenes moments, revealing women party members acting as leaders; serving communities; caring for families; and engaging in grassroots campaigns to elect mayors, assembly members, judges, and members of neighborhood councils.
Shames’s archive showcases a diverse range of their work—from marches and demonstrations to teaching and working with children, from nurturing their own families to providing community services. These images reveal the essential role of these women in party leadership and community organizing.
Throughout the US, Comrade Sisters were mothers, sisters, aunties, cooks, housecleaners, churchgoers, high school and university students, teachers, artists, factory and retail workers, poets, dancers, writers, and musicians. Primarily between the ages of 14 and 21, they decided to transform the conditions for those facing injustice. What motivated them? Love.
As Ericka Huggins notes, “These stories could fill volumes.” Consider this exhibition a very late and humble thank you to these Comrade Sisters who acted with courage and carried their memories throughout their lives and careers.
This project was made possible in partnership with the Museum of Social Justice and the CSUN Tom & Ethel Bradley Center
|
|
|
The Founders of the Black Panther Party
|
Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale met in September 1962 while students at Merritt College in Oakland, California. After being involved with several disappointing organizations that were willing to commit to Black liberation only in theory, they decided to enter the Black community, organize the people, and establish an organization to lead the Black liberation struggle. They completed their Ten Point Program and founded the Black Panther Party on October 15, 1966, with the two men as its own members.
|
Black Panther founders Huey Newton and Bobby Seale in front of the national headquarters on Peralta Street in West Oakland. June Hillard is standing on the left. Oakland, California, 1971.
©Stephen Shames.
Black Panther chairman Bobby Seale campaigns for mayor of Oakland, and Panther Elaine Brown campaigns for Oakland City Council. Seale ran for mayor of Oakland in 1973. He received the second-most votes in a field of nine candidates but ultimately lost in a runoff with incumbent mayor John Reading. The Black Panther Party’s 1972 voter registration drive added several thousand new voters to the rolls. That registration drive helped Lionel Wilson become the first Black mayor of Oakland in 1977. Oakland, California, 1973. ©Stephen Shames.
|
Faces of Women in the Black Panther Party
The women of the Black Panther Party came from diverse backgrounds, including students and mothers, factory workers and intellectuals, inexperienced and seasoned activists. They represented different generations, life stages, and circumstances, united by a shared goal to transform their communities. This transformation would come through revolutionary action and serving their communities through programs that addressed Point Ten of the Ten Point Program: “We want land, bread, housing, education, clothing, justice, and peace.”
Following in the tradition of Black radical women, these diverse women energized local branches and implemented survival programs, including self-defense training, anticipating the revolution. They carried rifles, learned shooting techniques, and participated in military training as part of what Bobby Seale called “revolutionary, community, socialist programs” rather than mere reform efforts.
These women faced the triple burden of combating state repression, fighting for racial justice, and asserting their rights within a male-dominated revolutionary movement. Their courage and unwavering commitment transformed the party and redefined what it meant to be a revolutionary woman in the United States.
Following in the tradition of Black radical women, these diverse women energized local branches and implemented survival programs, including self-defense training, anticipating the revolution. They carried rifles, learned shooting techniques, and participated in military training as part of what Bobby Seale called “revolutionary, community, socialist programs” rather than mere reform efforts.
These women faced the triple burden of combating state repression, fighting for racial justice, and asserting their rights within a male-dominated revolutionary movement. Their courage and unwavering commitment transformed the party and redefined what it meant to be a revolutionary woman in the United States.
Mayfair supermarket boycott, which closed the store in four days. Oakland, California, 1971.©Stephen Shames.
|
A woman of the Black Panther Party sells the "Black Panther" newspaper in the 8th Avenue bus terminal. New York, New York, 1971. ©Stephen Shames.
|
Gloria Abernathy, a member of the Panthers, sells the Black Panther newspaper during the Mayfair supermarket boycott, while Tamera Lacy holds a poster about sickle cell anemia. Oakland, California, 1971. ©Stephen Shames.
|
A woman of the Black Panther Party sells the "Black Panther" newspaper downtown. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1971.©Stephen Shames.
|
Mother and Child
Motherhood within the Black Panther Party represented both revolutionary potential and profound challenge. Revolutionary motherhood put severe burdens on Panther women, who faced the strains of state repression, including losing partners to assassination and incarceration, while caring for children. Many brought their children to meetings, rallies, and community events, creating a unique culture where revolutionary politics and family life intersected.
The party’s survival programs often emerged from mothers’ intimate understanding of their communities’ needs. The Panthers established a child development center as a daycare for Panther youth, serving nearly 80 children by the end of 1972. They adopted a collective parenting approach, providing for children’s material needs and boarding them in dormitories during weekdays. These programs socialized Panther children to a collective lifestyle, parented children who did not have one or both parents present, and met women’s childcare needs, supporting their commitment to being both mothers and political activists.
The party’s survival programs often emerged from mothers’ intimate understanding of their communities’ needs. The Panthers established a child development center as a daycare for Panther youth, serving nearly 80 children by the end of 1972. They adopted a collective parenting approach, providing for children’s material needs and boarding them in dormitories during weekdays. These programs socialized Panther children to a collective lifestyle, parented children who did not have one or both parents present, and met women’s childcare needs, supporting their commitment to being both mothers and political activists.
A woman holds her child at a rally for Bobby Seale during his trial in New Haven. New Haven, Connecticut, 1970. ©Stephen Shames.
|
Mother and baby at the Black Panthers’ Spurgeon “Jake” Winters Medical Center. Chicago, Illinois, 1970. ©Stephen Shames.
|
“Free Huey” rally in Provo Park. The official name of the park was Constitution Park, but it was later renamed Provo Park in honor of the Dutch Provos. In 1983, it was renamed Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park. Berkeley, California, 1969. ©Stephen Shames.
|
Mother and child listen to speakers at a pre-rally in DeFremery Park for the constitutional convention, which was to be held that September in Philadelphia. Oakland, California, summer 1970. ©Stephen Shames.
|
Women in Education and Liberation Schools
|
Women played a central role in developing and implementing revolutionary educational programs that challenged the failing public school system and created alternatives rooted in Black liberation. The BPP launched its Black Panther Liberation School initiative in 1969, according to Bobby Seale, as a “supplement to the existing institutions, which still teach racism to children, both Black and White.”
Women coordinated these informal educational spaces in storefronts, churches, and homes, teaching children about Black history, class struggle, and revolutionary consciousness. The pinnacle of these efforts was the Intercommunal Youth Institute (IYI), established in 1971 in Oakland under the directorship of Brenda Bay and later Ericka Huggins. The IYI served party members’ children, ages 5 to 12, by converting a church into a school during the day and a community center at night, combining traditional academic subjects with political education. In 1973, Huggins relocated the institute to East Oakland, renaming it the Oakland Community School. This school operated from 1968 to 1982 and became a model for community-controlled education, influencing schools nationwide. |
Majeeda Smith combs Debra Williams’s hair at the Intercommunal Youth Institute. Oakland, California, 1970. ©Stephen Shames.
|
Sons and daughters of members of the Black Panther Party march in front of the Black Panther office on Shattuck Avenue. Berkeley, California, 1971. ©Stephen Shames.
|
A Black Panther liberation school. New Bedford, Massachusetts, 1970. ©Stephen Shames.
|
The joyful smile of a child. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1971. ©Stpehen Shames.
|
Black Panther children with their teacher, Evon Carter, widow of Alprentice “Bunchy” Carter, at the Intercommunal Youth Institute, the Black Panther Party school. Oakland, California, 1972. ©Stephen Shames.
|
Black Panther Rallies, “Free Huey” Campaign, and Community Mobilization
|
Women of the Black Panther Party played a pivotal role in organizing and participating in rallies, protests, and political demonstrations. The iconic “Free Huey” rallies, which demanded the release from prison of Huey Newton, a co-founder of the party, exemplified this approach. On July 15, 1968, over 2,500 supporters gathered at the Alameda County courthouse in Oakland, bringing together numerous progressive organizations, including the Peace and Freedom Party and the Brown Berets. Among the 250 Black Panther Party members who lined the courthouse steps, women were positioned prominently on the top tier wearing simple dark dresses and natural hairstyles, while men stood below in the iconic black leather jackets and berets.
Women were also essential to local community mobilizations, where they helped transform political gatherings into powerful expressions of revolutionary solidarity and mutual aid. These events often featured giveaway initiatives in which party members distributed free food, clothing, and shoes to community members. Through these actions, women created spaces where revolutionary politics intersected with immediate community needs, laying the foundation for sustained organizing while providing tangible support to struggling families. These events became powerful recruitment tools and symbols of the party’s commitment to serving the people. |
Angela Davis speaks at a “Free Huey” rally in DeFremery Park. In 1969, she had been a member of the Black Panther Party for one year, and she has remained a lifelong friend of the party. Oakland, California, November 12, 1969. ©Stephen Shames.
|
Men and women at a May Day “Free Huey” rally in front of the San Francisco Federal Building. San Francisco, California, May 1, 1969. ©Stephen Shames.
|
Women of the Black Panther Party give a clenched-fist salute at a “Free Huey” rally in Provo Park. Berkeley, California, 1969. ©Stephen Shames.
|
Woman arrested at a “Free Huey, Free Bobby” rally in front of the San Francisco Federal Building. San Francisco, California, February 1970. ©Stephen Shames.
|
Kathleen Cleaver talks with Los Angeles Black Panther members who came to the “Free Huey” rally in DeFremery Park (which the Panthers named Bobby Hutton Park) in West Oakland. Cleaver was the communications secretary and the first female member of the party’s decision-making Central Committee. Oakland, California, July 28, 1968. ©Stephen Shames.
|
Free Clothing and Shoe Programs
|
Women of the Black Panther Party recognized that people who lacked adequate clothing or wore worn-out shoes faced barriers to employment, social participation, and personal dignity. This understanding drove women Panthers to establish and manage free clothing and shoe distribution programs that became essential components of the party’s survival initiatives, serving people of all ages and backgrounds, not just the Black community.
These programs operated through donated items and coordinated distribution efforts, often organized around community events and rallies. Women sorted through donations, organized clothing by size and season, and ensured that families and individuals received appropriate items. Banners prominently displayed in the BPP newspaper and at events featured graphics of the people’s programs: a bag of food labeled “Free Food Program,” shoes labeled “Free Shoe Program,” and clothing labeled “Free Clothing Program.” Beyond meeting immediate material needs, the clothing and shoe programs embodied the party’s revolutionary philosophy of mutual aid and community self-determination. Women Panthers transformed acts of charity into acts of solidarity, demonstrating that caring for one another challenged the capitalist system’s neglect of poor and working-class families. |
The Free Clothing Program is one of the Black Panther Party’s community survival programs. A proud young boy tries on a winter coat to take home. Toledo, Ohio, 1970. ©Stephen Shames.
|
Black Panther Free Shoe Program. Toledo, Ohio, 1970. ©Stephen Shames.
|
Black Panther Free Clothing Program. Oakland, California, March 1970. ©Stephen Shames.
|
A woman of the Black Panther Party wraps her hair at the Harlem office. New York, New York, 1971. ©Stephen Shames.
|
The Free Shoe Program, Black Panther Party’s Black Community Survival Conference, DeFremery Park. Oakland, California, March 31, 1972. ©Stephen Shames.
|
Women and the Sickle Cell Anemia Program
|
The Black Panther Party’s Sickle Cell Anemia Research Foundation made a serious contribution to Black healthcare in America, publicizing the seriousness of a disease that affected about one in 500 African Americans at that time. Beginning in 1971, the Panthers launched a public awareness campaign because information about sickle cell anemia was limited.
Female Panthers coordinated the logistics of mass screening programs, recruited volunteers, and organized community outreach efforts that reached thousands of people nationwide. As Black communities learned of the disease, more began to get tested. Women medical professionals and premed students, working alongside community volunteers, conducted simple finger-stick tests in people’s homes, at public-housing buildings, and at party clinics. In Panther clinics, healthcare professionals referred those with the disease or sickle cell trait for further counseling and, if necessary, treatment. Women Panthers understood that health care was a human right and that community self-determination included medical self-defense. Their advocacy efforts contributed directly to the passage of the National Sickle Cell Anemia Control Act of 1972, creating national genetic counseling, testing, and research programs. |
Testing for sickle cell anemia at the Black Community Survival Conference. Oakland, California, March 31, 1972. ©Stephen Shames.
|
Ruby Moore, a sickle cell tester, pricks a man’s finger to test for sickle cell anemia during Bobby Seale’s campaign for mayor of Oakland. Oakland, California, 1972. ©Stephen Shames.
|
Adrienne Humphrey tests a woman for sickle cell anemia during Bobby Seale’s campaign for mayor of Oakland. Oakland, California, 1973. ©Stephen Shames.
|
A woman of the Black Panther Party tests a child for sickle cell anemia at the Black Community Survival Conference. Oakland, California, March 31, 1972.©Stephen Shames.
|
Norma Armour Mtume, part of the George Jackson People’s Free Health Clinic cadre, attends to a young girl in Oakland during the Bobby Seale for Mayor campaign. Oakland, California, 1973. ©Stephen Shames.
|
Women in the People’s Free Food Program
|
Women were the driving force behind the People’s Free Food Program, which extended beyond the well-known Free Breakfast for School Children to include grocery distribution and family food assistance. Recognizing that hunger was a daily reality for families in their communities, women Panthers organized and managed a program that delivered free groceries to households and people during community events and rallies.
Serving in leadership roles, female Panthers coordinated neighborhood mothers as volunteers, solicited donations from local grocery stores, organized boycotts against businesses that refused to donate, and created accountability through the party newspaper. Male participation was also widespread, allowing men to become more sensitive to the importance of family, children, and gender issues through their involvement. The program served diverse communities, with chapters like Seattle extending food assistance to White and Asian families alongside Black households. Through the People’s Free Food Program, women transformed the simple act of sharing meals into a revolutionary practice that challenged capitalism’s failure to feed the hungry while building solidarity across racial and economic lines. |
A woman with a bag of food at the People’s Free Food Program, one of the survival programs. Palo Alto, California, 1972. ©Stephen Shamess.
|
As part of the People’s Free Food Program, party members prepare bags of food for distribution at the Oakland Coliseum during the Black Community Survival Conference. Oakland, California, March 1972.
©Stephen Shames.
|
Women of the Black Panther Party prepare food during a rally for the Black Panthers’ upcoming constitutional convention. Washington, DC, 1970. ©Stephen Shames.
|
Two women with bags of food at the People’s Free Food Program, one of the Panthers’ survival programs. Palo Alto, California, 1972. ©Stephen Shames.
|
Elaine Colman, a member of the Black Panther Party, prepares bags for distribution at the Laney College student center for the Black Community Survival Conference at the Oakland Coliseum, where the Panthers distributed 6,000 bags of groceries as part of the People’s Free Food Program. Bobby Seale announced his run for mayor of Oakland that night. Oakland, California, 1972.
©Stephen Shames.
|