I never learned too much about the Black Panther Party. I always thought it was just an underground revolutionary group. I learned most about it while watching the short documentary film within the exhibition. I learned that it was actually a strong and large politcal force that swept across the United States. There was an imprint of the United States on one wall that had marked off all the cities that had Black Panther Parties. I was also surprised to learn that they had their own newspaper that at one point sold over 400,000 copies. The message I got from this exhibition was that the Black Panthers wanted to fight against racism, and not to fight against it with more racism. This is a common mistake most people believed about the Black Panther Party. They were not initially a violent group, unfortunately the civil rights movement did turn violent due to police brutality and riots that occurred. I’m really not too familiar with any group today that also uses strong art work to fight for a social change. However, what comes to mind is same-sex marriage and the battle that many are fighting to make it legal. That’s really the only publications today that I can think of that is fighting for a change in government. I’m sure there are many others, but to me it seems that is a major one today. This exhibition was very informative and I was able to see a completely different side of the Civil rights movement other than what is published in textbooks.

The Emory Douglass exhibit really opened my eyes to what the Black Panther Party stood for and some of the social ‘laws’ they functioned under. The exhibit was very eye opening. The posters and newspaper articles, mostly penned by Douglass, gave the viewer a clear message of exactly how the Panthers felt towards the US government and other authority figures. It seemed as though, the main goal of the Black Panther Party was have equal treatment for all African Americans, and to immediately end police brutality against African-Americans. The Panthers also established social programs such as, free breakfast, free transportation to local prisons, free transportation for senior citizens, the party also established a few charter schools around the nation, and opened free medical clinics. They aimed to fight racism by educating others. However, these social programs often fell to the background, as other pressing matters concerning the Black Panther Party took center stage in other newspaper headlines. The Black Panther Party newspaper had many interesting advertisements, many that mocked prominent political figures of the day. They also used strong images to get their message across to the reader. A similar publication would be the Advocate, which is a prominent gay/lesbian/transgender publication. It aims to do what the Black Panther Party publication did, at that time, get people to realize the social injustices in this country.

My journal went on another adventure today, with Cid and me. Our destination, of course was the New Museum…. after getting distracted by a few boutiques we arrived at the futuristic building. We proceeded to the second floor, to examine the “Emory Douglas, Black Panther” exhibit. I have studied the Black Panther party briefly in the past, but I did not know nearly as much as I do now. As I entered the exhibit, the political media from Emory’s posters gave me a sense of how different groups of people reacted and dealt with oppression. The posters contained strong, visual and verbal messages. Weapons were for the most part in almost every picture. My first reaction was disappointment, how could these people fight violence with more violence? As I continued to learn about this party, I became aware to the fact that the weapons did not contain bullets, and the people were holding them to give a message, not to create more violence. I came across one photo of a child holding a gun, and I thought to myself, how sad it was, that these children grew up with such hate and weaponry. As I continued through the room, I came across a quote that explained the meaning of the “Black Panther” title, “the description of the panther is an animal that never attacks but defends itself to the death, which inspired people in the community to do the same.” After I saw all the posters, I watched the documentary, which gave me an even better understanding of the Black Panther Party. This party was created to show people “what can be done when people unify.” The party was meant to bring people together, and protect them. The party provided food, education, and clothes to African American children. The program was social, and out of their ten objectives, self defense was far down the list, coming in at number seven. This political party cared about the people, it provided necessities for struggling African Americans, and indeed did not condone violence. I found this trip to be very fascinating, and look forward to many more!

-Pamela Kirsch

The illustrations by Emory Douglas made me realize that art is a powerful form of media. Douglas had a message, and he made his message clear through symbolic portraits and avatars. He was angry, and by using art to express his emotions, he helped propel a movement through use of the media. Every week, people could buy the Black Panther for 25 cents to observe a piece of art that was filled with controversy and angst.
The minute I walked through the door of the exhibit, I realized the intensity of the contents surrounding me. The exhibit was as frightening as it was eye opening and I found that the starkness and emptiness of the room served the subject well - it left a lasting effect.

I would compare the illustrations by Emory Douglas to the current Roe vs. Wade controversy. Many times, the Pro-life party will use disturbing images to justify their side of the argument. I believe media in the form of art is an excellent way to convince society of the problem at hand. Art in the media is usually relatable to a vast majority of the public - in other words, people can more easily understand the idea of the statement through a picture or a photograph. As I said earlier, it leaves a lasting effect. Words can be forgotten or erased, whereas a photograph or a painting lasts forever. The Emory Douglas exhibit was the perfect example of how long media art can last. He began his illustrations in 1966, and we are still intrigued by his media art today.
-Casey Allard

I had never been to the New Museum before, but my roommate had, and she told me that it is a new building, and very modern. While I was walking down the Prince Street I saw these huge cubes (like sugar cubes) on top of each other and some of them ready to fall apart, I said ok, this must be it. Inside the building the main color was white, clean lines, I would say relaxing because there were not too many things around to disturb the visitors. I really liked the Emory Douglas exhibit, I felt very comfortable seeing the exhibition and going close to his work. Even though I did not know much about him, it was easy to understand his message. The video made it even clearer; poverty, health care, education and unemployment were basically the problems. Throughout his graphic art which was placed in the Black Panther newspaper, anyone could see the issues that the Black Panther Party was fighting for. His work shows us the poor, mothers with kids starving and having no place to stay, young men holding weapons to defend themselves, he would use few words and to the point, words that would show those people’s willingness and passion for a change. Also, he would use cartoons to show people in power as pigs. I do not think that I can compare Douglas’ work with any other publications today because the technologies were different; also newspapers were so much more powerful back then. Even though his media art work is still as strong as it was almost half century ago, if similar groups of people were to fight for their rights in today’s world, I do not think newspaper would be the best way to get their message out.

As I approached the New Museum I was very excited to see this modern building, which I have heard many amazing things. I was not very familiar with the Black Panther Party but once I was looking through the posters I wish that I were more knowledgeable on this revolutionary group. I was shocked to see the amount of violence influenced in these posters. The messages that were put across were strong and in that time was the only way to be able to accomplish anything. One of the posters that had a strong meaning was with a child and a mother saying, “Mommy where is dad?” (He got shot in the head by the police for being black) “He’s dead.” I think every person can have sympathy for this situation, in trying to tell a young child what happened to there father. After looking at all the poster I watches the documentary and found a more detailed explanation of many of the programs that the party supported. Many of the programs were aiding the children and the elderly, but one that I found interesting was the medical help that they tried to provide. It was interesting because of the political aspect now with health insurance. The many controversies over this issue and the president were interesting to think of as I traveled through this exhibit. One of the last thing I saw was the map of the different locations of the Black Panther Party and was a little surprised to see my hometown of Buffalo one there. This was a very informative trip as well as inspiring to see not only the revolutionary group, the Black Panther Party, but such a modern museum as well.

I wanted to add onto my comment, a similar activist group would be the LGBT community. The group represents people who are being punished and oppressed because of their sexual orientation. I was fascinated to see the map on the way out of the exhibit, as the northeast and west coast were well represented with the Black Panther Party-but the in between states were not. I found it interesting that today, the same states are the ones that are more open to social difference and vice versa, the same states are still oppressing those who are different.

I never knew much about the Black Panthers, like many others in class, until I visited the New Musuem. It was not only interesting, but educational as well. The posters and pictures on the wall were eye-catching. And as the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” When first looking at the posters of members carrying weapons, I assumed it was a violent movement. The weapons represent the party’s resilience. They did not want to be violent, but at the same time, they were not going to back down. The artwork was indented to show the issues in society, the way the government was treating African Americans, and that there was a need for change. Sometimes violent images are the most effective way to get a message across. At the same time, the message sent across can be interpreted differently depending on who is looking at the posters, which is what art does. What also came to mind when looking at the posters, was the apartheid. It’s strange how the US government condemned South Africa, but how they, too, were opressing African Americans in the US. I cannot think of any publications today that are comparable. However, when living in the Middle East, there were always newspaper articles/pictures concerning the war between Palestine and Israel. There were pictures of children throwing stones, mothers weeping over their children’s’ bodies. Unlike the black panther movement, the message was usually to say that there was a need for violence because the Palestinians were not only being oppressed, but killed by the hundreds. When it comes to war, both sides are going to believe that there is a need for violence.

I found the Emorey Douglas: Black Panther exhibit fascinating and radical. The art work was very provocative. The author conveyed his message clearly and bluntly, the art work was impossible to ignore. He used his work as a tool to provoke a reaction from the veiwers in order to ignite political and social change. I found some of the images to be rather disturbing, particularly the pictures of women holding children on one arm and a gun in the other hand. However this was Emorey Douglas’s intention. I understood his point of veiw better after I read a caption in which he described a “panther” as “an animal that will not attack, but which will defend itself to death.” It is vital to understand that the violence portrayed in Douglas’s work is self defense, it is a response to hundreds of years of suppression and violence towards his people.
I though that the documentary film that accompianed the exhibit was extremely eye opening and informative. It helped the veiwer better grasp what the Black panther party was all about. They implemented several organizations in their communities that improved the quality of life for African Americans. For example the program that provided school children with a healthy breakfast each morning, and the and the program which provided protection for senior citizens cashing in their social security checks. I was also impressed with the influence that the Black Panther Society had over society. The monthly paper, for which Emory Douglas was an artisit, reached a circulation of over 400,000 readers at it’s peak.
I agree with the comment which compared the Black Panther Party to the LGBT community today. I thought the point about the map was very interesting. Why are some parts of our country so much more resistent to change and acceptance then others?

Being a native New Yorker I had never been to the New museum before. I was very surprised by the size of it and the building itself. As I ventured in I went on to check out the Emory Douglas Black Panther exhibit. I had a brief knowledge and understanding of what the Black Panther Party was but not until after viewing this exhibit did I really understand and realize the impact that they had. At first I asked one of the women at the information center for some background info on Emory Douglas. She gave me a copy of the press release. It explained that Douglas designed the layout and design for their newspaper. His designs were described as “creating a vocabulary of images that exemplify how art can encourage political consciousness and function within an activist context”. As I proceeded to go view the work I did not expect to see the amount of prints and newspapers that were available. Like many of the others said before me I was a little confused about some of the images because they seemed to convey violence. Many of them showed images of people holding guns, grenades and other weapons. However, the further I explored into the images and came to understand the whole Black Panther meaning of how a black panther will not attack but will defend itself. I also enjoyed the short film that was shown at the exhibit. It provided me with a lot of background information that helped me understand better the exhibit. I didn’t realize the large impact that the movement had had on the the nation. I really enjoyed this trip as it was very different from the last and look forward to the upcoming ones!

When I first stepped into the New Museum, I looked around and saw the obvious differences in style and decor from places like the Morgan Library, New Museum being more modern. It was interestingly different. The Black Panther exhibit really blew my mind. My knowledge on the black panthers was tainted from what I have seen in television and movies, which have painted them as a negative and violent group of people. Like others have said before, the reason for their violent and intimidating appearance was used as a method to have their voices heard. A wholesome and peaceful image was not working fast enough to fight off years of oppression. I really like the visual of the black panther party holding the weapons, to me it makes much more of a statement, they were no longer going to be put down, or take anymore abuse. I was enamored with the idea of a whole room dedicated to a movement that has helped pave the way for so many people. I love how some of his work almost looked like pop art, personally most of my favorite paintings are pop art. I don’t think anyone today is brave enough to try to re-create a publication like Emory Douglas’, I think people are too scared to show the truth without being labeled an instigator. I agree with most of the class in that I believe that todays equivalent is the LGBT community, with the “No H8” campaigns, which is a great campaign and hopefully the LGBT community perceivers like the black panther managed to do.

When reaching the New Museum the first thing that you notice is the building itself which is quite impressive, it looks like a series of white blocks that were not too carefully stacked. This opening image is a nice preview to the modern art that lies inside the structure. The style of the building itself truly reflect the museum’s attitude toward culture and art. Inside the Museum’s style continues to be quite unique and cool. This was not your grandfather’s art museum. The Emory Douglas exhibit is simply another example of the Museum being willing to show something new and different. His lithographs were impressive considering the amount of impact that I felt by them today, when they represented a generation long since passed and a group that no longer exists. It is hard to think of a modern equivalent to the Black Panther publications. Radical groups do still exist in this country and they do still publish periodicals, but a lot of them have moved online because it is cheaper and can reach a much more widespread audience. In all honesty the most well known may be some fringe conservative groups who publish magazines and newspapers, and there is a communist group in this country which does the same. But there really isn’t anything today that would showcase anything like these lithographs, there isn’t any sort of fringe group who is willing to express themselves through this kind of art. Today people rely more on words than anything else.

I was extremely moved by Emory Douglas’ art work for the Black Panther. When i walked into the exhibit I was immediately drawn to his use of bright colors and bold lines. Before going to this exhibit i knew nothing of the Black Panther or the people involved with it. When i had told my father that I had to go to this exhibit for my communications class he automatically knew what it was. He remembered the Black Panther being around when he was a kid.
I noticed how modern and clean cut the New Museum was compared to any other museum I had been to. I feel that the simply modern wall of this museum helped visitors focus their attention on Emory Douglas’ work. I really enjoyed viewing Emory Douglas’ work because I could feel the anger and the rebellion in every picture without having experienced that time period myself.
The factor that I noticed most about this exhibit was how Emory Douglas used extremely harsh, bold lines in all of his pieces in order to emphasize the anger in these pictures. Emory Douglas’ pieces are a type of media in the sense that they each had a statement. And those statements were exposed to the public whether people liked it or not. Emory Douglas did not ask people to look at his art work, he made them. He forced people to see his message by attracting them with harsh images and bright colors.
I believe that today’s equivalent to Emory Douglas’ publications is political cartoons. We see political cartoons everywhere, in magazines, commercials, news papers, even on the internet. One artist that stood out to me was Christo Komar. His art consists of extremely disturbing and controversial images that make people question and criticize the government. This is exactly what the Black Panther was meant for, to get people to question the government and start having their own opinions about what is going on in the world.

I was very pleasantly surprised by the new museum. I was at first skeptical that the name “new museum” would carry over to it’s content being original and interesting, and of high educational value. As soon as I saw the architecture of the building, though (I know it’s usually a poor choice to judge based on appearances, but I was so taken aback by it’s structure that I had no choice, really), I realized it was likely to be very different than I had imagined.

During high school, we never learned anything about the Black Panther party, even during my politics, united states history, or world history 100. The environment of the museum was in my opinion very comfortable and conducive to learning. Emory Douglas’s lithographs and paintings were originally intended to branch out to one specific community and bring them closer together. And as I visited and observed the artwork, I realized that his art, some 30-40 years later, was achieving the same thing on a much greater scale. By educating the black community through art, he brought many key issues into the light, and today, through the exhibition in the new museum, it seems as though he is telling his story and the story of the Black Panther party for the first time, to many people.

Today’s publications, I believe, can follow a similar trend in many ways, in pointing out the diversity of a people or by illustrating the views of a political party better than words or activism could. However, Douglas’s work appears to have meant more than just that to it’s audience and to the world, and the new audience which the New Museum has brought. Today’s statements are based on commitment and change through long term political movements and laws, and while this is effective and while the recession (depression…?) has brought many people together and formed a base for community that way, the artwork and advertisements surrounding this idea should not be misconstrued as the sole culprit. Douglas’s work generated community first, as he believed that through cooperation and understanding true advancement could be achieved. The art of today really cannot be blamed for mimicry of this concept, as it is an effective and honorable one, but it is just that.

I wasn’t as excited to go to the New Museum as I was the others because it wasn’t an old historical building, but when I got there the modern sleek building drew me in and I enjoyed my visit. Before I went to the New Museum the only things I could say about the Black Panther Party was that they were around during the civil rights movement and they were a violent group of people. Now that i have seen the Emory Douglas Exhibit my knowledge of the Black Panthers has not only tripled but also put a more positive light on how I view them. Although they did indeed do violent things to fight against racism and brutality they also help organizations fight poverty and boost health programs. The art work done by Emory Douglas is extremely powerful because of his bright choice of color and bold outlines of strong faces. I felt that in all of his paintings hostility was in all the faces of the people he drew and they really spoke to you without saying a word. Seeing these painting during the 1960’s and 1970’s would have a huge social effective on the community because the color and images draw you in and you wan to know more, you want to know the story behind the painting. The Black Panthers wanted to make a statement and these pictures definitely told of the hardship and also strength of the African American race. I feel like the Black Panthers should be talked about more in school to young kids so they don’t get a bad image of a group that had goo intentions.

I feel like a group that uses pictures and video to make a statement today is the environmentalist group. The images they show of animals in desperate need for help or a suffering land make even the hardest heart weaken. A lot of their commercials are just slide shows of certain areas of the world that are suffering without any audio at all because they know the picture will have a better effect on the public than someone just speaking about the issue. I would recommend the New Museum to people visiting New York City because anyone will take a lot out of the Emory Douglas Museum, I know I did.

Modern types of museums are things I have always wanted to venture off to but never really gotten the nerve to do due to the feeling of insecurity because I am not the stereotypical, sophisticated art critic. However, being in the New Museum instantly made me feel comfortable being around those stereotypical art critics. I even found myself watching the real “indie” artistic film on the fourth floor that I had no idea was about or what it was trying to prove besides the fact that sometimes I feel like some artists are so unique that no one else can truly understand what they are trying to express through their art.
The Emory Douglass: Black Panther exhibit instantly brought me back to my high school history class. Recalling certain things I had learned years ago and seeing these things once more expressed this time around in moving pieces of art rather than lectures or textbooks. The pieces of art had a large affect on me even though I assumed they wouldn’t due to the fact that I’d feel like a impostor trying to relate to something neither I, nor my ancestors were a part of or had to deal with. The members of the Black Panther society were so passionate about creating social change. And the art work really caught my attention due to the ironic feeling I received from them. I felt a whimsical feeling from many of the pieces of art due to the psychedelic colors and the ways they were created. However, when a mother is holding her baby while have a gun in the other hand you get a rush of emotion through your body. Images of pictures from the civil rights movement ran through my mind, which also reminded me of what many gay’s are dealing with. Granted they are viewed on completely different levels, however, gay marriage is still not allowed in many states all over the U.S. and equality rights are being fought for just like the blacks were fighting for equality rights during the civil rights movement.
Another piece that made me laugh a little was one where Nixon and Mitchell were being portrayed as giant rats. It reminded me a lot of many political t-shirts today of George W. Bush and how he is many a time cartooned into a pig or an ass.
The artwork was very moving and I enjoyed it very much. The sky room was beautiful as well. I was so excited when I heard there was a terrace on the top floor. That was actually my favorite part of the trip.

-Garrett Keefe

The BLACK PANTHER PARTY was not just a group of crazy black people who hated Caucasians. No no no. They were a socialist/marxist party. They were the first anti-racist activist group. They even had a WHITE PANTHER PARTY. That party was for the white folks who could not stand the racist troubles the African Americans were going through. Any who, I went with Madamoiselle Kirsch and we had an excellent time. Saw some awesome Marymount folk in the museum. We almost had to pay 8 dollars to get in. Good thing I mentioned we were both 18 years old. I have almost a year left to go there for free before I start paying 8 measly dollars. I think I’ll sign up for a membership because I dont want to constantly pay eight bucks every time I go. That is just outrageous. Some of the portraits were really interesting. They did not really had names. For the most part they all had dates. There was one piece that had a poem and it was really interesting. It was a poem by Bobby Herron:

Knock knock
Who’s there
“The Pig”
You got a warrant?
Don’t need one, I’m coming in
Coming in
Bang! Bang!
Oink! Oink!
Off the Pig

The Black Panther Party called police officers who beat blacks up “PIGS”. It’s actually very sad to be called a pig because noone likes pigs. I also found out you cant just JOIN The BPP. You have to go through a six to eight week intensive where you read works from men like Che Guevara, Fidel Castro, and many other people. It’s funny because I saw “The Motorcycle Diaries” two years ago and Che Guevara made the statement
“You cannot have a revolution without guns.” However, The BPP did not fight. They did however walk around with unloaded guns and such. It wasn’t illegal so why not? Nonetheless, Pam and I had a good time. Really swell. She even brought to my attention that the same areas where that had Black Panther Party locations (Northeast and West Coast) are now the very same areas heavily support Gay Rights (btw, the BPP was the first activist group to support right for homosexuals. Coincidence? No. These areas just want a change in the world.

Wow. I just wrote a whole paper. I’m crazy.
“FIGHT RACISM WITH SOLIDARITY”

The New Museum in SoHo was surely something to look forward to after the overwhelmingly congested crowd at the San Gennaro Festival. It was very easy to find since it stood out amongst its surrounding buildings. At my first impression, the museum came off to be very modern and young to the neighborhood. I certainly felt a different vibe from this museum compared to the Morgan and NYPL. Upon entering the warm and friendly atmosphere, I was excited to see the Black Panther exhibition. It was something I have briefly learned about in history class but I was never given the opportunity to see its published newspapers and posters of artwork for myself. It was such a reality shock seeing numerous pieces of history right in front of me of a movement that still continues today.
It was clear how Emory Douglas’ art contributed greatly to its promotion of freedom and change. The work being exhibited achieved political and social change by portraying the hardship of struggle for freedom and justice. The collection exhibited definitely made me more aware of just how much of the equality, justice and peace they demanded. I also enjoyed the short film as well since it provided more information on the work the Black Panther Party did to help their community. They supplied free food for children, accommodated free busing for senior citizens as well as free health clinics and shoe, food and clothing programs. One of the statements that stood out in the film was “Fight Racism with Solidarity.”
I was very intrigued by this exhibition. The posters of artwork, newspapers and the film all captured my attention in learning more and more about the freedom and change they incessantly fought for.

At the end of the film they mention their website: itsabouttimebpp.com

First of all, the architecture of the New Museum was something like I had never seen before. I always seem to get lost in the Bowery and then complain for hours about how I wandered around, confused and upset, only to give up and take the Canal St subway back uptown. However this time was different, and I was beside myself with glee because I hadn’t gotten lost. This was a huge achievement; and was due in no small part to the highly noticeable and very distinct construction of the New Museum. I loved the modernist, almost teetering design of the building - even the cutely subversive ‘Hell Yes!’ rainbow sign on the front. It evoked the feeling of Pop Art, which as it turned out I was going to be reminded of a lot throughout the day.

My understanding of the Black Panther Movement was, admittedly, not very thorough and consisted of mostly beret hats and fists thrust into the air. I was slightly embarrassed that I wasn’t more knowledgeable, seeing as I like to go into any art exhibit with at least some background knowledge of the topic at hand. However once I began looking at the work of Emory Douglas, I was comforted because it actually did look like something I had seen before.

The bold lines and stark graphics rendered almost in the style of a propaganda poster reminded me very strongly of Shepard Fairey. It was abundantly clear to me that Fairey had to be inspired by Douglas - their work is so similar. Many of you might not be familiar with the name Shepard Fairey, but his images are extremely well-known. His most famous piece is the now iconic image of Obama set in graphic red white and blue with the text ‘hope’ at the bottom in all capital letters. That image has appeared ad infinitum on posters, online as an internet meme, and on tshirts through Shepard’s clothing line ‘OBEY’. I was struck by how familiar Douglas’s work seemed to me although I had never seen his pieces before, and I was happy that I at least had something to go by while learning more about this incredibly influential movement.

Saturday, I woke up to the usually bull. I decided to spend the day away from my roommates. I took the six down to Spring Street. What I found I still could not believe my eyes, stores with sales and stuff that I could afford. Please for give me but I decided to look around, after I was done my window shopping; I decided to look for the new museum. It was very hard trying to find the place but it was ok because there was a lot to see, little Italy and china town. After about an hour I found the New Museum. Everyone seemed really friendly down to the security guard. I thought I would experience one of those moments again but this was not the case. Once the guy check my ticket he informed me what floor I had to go on and what floor I should go, which was the 7th floor. I made my way in the elevator up to the second floor, got off the very green and majestic elevator and found myself in chills when heard the Black Panther video. I really enjoyed and learned a lot that I did not know. I learned that the Black Panther movement was not just for fighting the rights of the blacks. The panther helped everyone and anyone that was in need especially the children. I like how the panther got themselves known out there to the world. The Panthers had there own news paper and they would have large speaking party. I’m still appalled that there are still Panthers member still in jail and one on death row. After I was done I took the guy advice to took a trip to the 7th floor, all I have to say is shame on you Mr. Morgan. I found out a great shopping spot and I learned more about America’s history.

Before last saturday I had never been to the New Museum. I have seen pictures of it in publications or on websites, and have seen the juxtaposition of the modern architecture of the museum squeezed between two simple brick structures. In person the New Museum’s design and appearance stands out even more than in photos. Also, in pictures I have never been able to make out that the rainbow arch reads, “Hell Yes!” Why? I have yet to figure out.
Anyways, when I read in our packet that we should spend most of our time at the New Museum visiting the Emory Douglas: Black Panther exhibit, I realized: I never learned a thing about the Black Panther Party in high school history classes. The mention of the BPP, at first, signifies in my mind the scene in “Forest Gump” when Jenny is rallying at Washington D.C with the BPP. In the scene the BPP member is portrayed as aggressive and even violent. From this movie I had formed my first impression of the BPP and that idea of them being an overly aggressive social movement stuck with me until I came to Emory Douglas exhibit. By utilizing powerful graphics, Douglas was able to communicate the parties ideas and to draw emotion to the viewer. I discovered that the groups goals, shown through Douglas’ art, were overshadowed by their sometimes confrontational tactics. The foundation of the group was built on the idea of alleviating poverty and improving the health and strength of communities.
Thanks to this exhibit, the BPP website, and by reading through everyone else’s experience of visiting the New Museum, I have been able to educate myself so much more about the BPP than high school and “Forest Gump” ever has.

As I’ve read the previous comments I realized I wasn’t the only one who didn’t completely understand the Black Panther’s war on racism. And like the others after watching the video I could empathize more, knowing what they went through and what they were trying to do. I’m sad to say that I never heard of the Black Panthers in my history classes, I only knew of them through movies, and what I was exposed to was their violence. I didn’t know about their Ten Point Program, where they were more concerned about finding decent homes and educations then killing “fascist pigs”. Their campaign posters and newspapers where shocking and scary at times, picturing babies with guns and dead police officers, so I can understand the perception of pure violence. But some of their posters had quotes that could be inspirational not only to the member but anyone fighting for a cause. “Wherever Death may surprise us, it will be welcome, provided that this, our battle cry, reach some receptive ear, that another hand stretch out to take up weapons and that other men come forward to intone our funeral dirge with the staccato of machine guns and new cries of battle and victory”- Che Guevara. Quotes like these make someone realize that this wasn’t a bloodthirsty organization, but an organization out to rid the world of unjust racism. The Black Panther Party is still out there working with other groups to ensure proper care and education comes to all citizens who want it, regardless of race, or standing.
Grace DeLisi