The Role of Women in the Revolution
Location
Ponderosa Room B
Presentation Type
Presentation
Presentation Topic
Gender, Women's Studies, Black History
Start Date
6-3-2026 10:10 AM
Event Sort Order
7
Abstract
The Black Panther Party (BPP) was one of the first Black revolutinary organizations to make a statement affirming the roles of women. Founded in 1966, the organization was ahead of the curve in terms of their activism and political effectiveness. To this day, the BPP is idolized for validating the views of women and promoting them into leadership positions. However, continued investigations into the daily lives of members of the Party differ from their publicly espoused views concerning gender equality. Actual gendered practices within the Black Panther Party included using sexual assault against women as a weapon, allowing intimate partner violence, and placing limits on the sexual freedoms of female party members.
This presentation will explore all of the BPP's public statements concerning gender and their actual gendered daily practices.
The Role of Women in the Revolution
Ponderosa Room B
The Black Panther Party (BPP) was one of the first Black revolutinary organizations to make a statement affirming the roles of women. Founded in 1966, the organization was ahead of the curve in terms of their activism and political effectiveness. To this day, the BPP is idolized for validating the views of women and promoting them into leadership positions. However, continued investigations into the daily lives of members of the Party differ from their publicly espoused views concerning gender equality. Actual gendered practices within the Black Panther Party included using sexual assault against women as a weapon, allowing intimate partner violence, and placing limits on the sexual freedoms of female party members.
This presentation will explore all of the BPP's public statements concerning gender and their actual gendered daily practices.
Presenter Bio
Azaria Brown received her MFA from Butler University in the Spring of 2023. Azaria is also a PhD student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she teaches freshman English. She has presented at the National Pop Culture Association Conference and at the Midwest Popular Culture Association Conference.