The book tells the story of the Black Panther Party through its rise and eventual fall, and most important of all its impact in society. Though the Civil Rights Movement pushed for legal progress to take course in the protection of black people, systemic racism would persist. The party, unlike other movements, rose with militant revolutionaries comprised of young people towards protecting the black community. In charting the origin of the movement, Magoon maps the road of black liberation from the end of slavery to Black Lives Matter. Though their tactic was radical in nature and attracted government intervention, the party worked to improve the welfares of the communities.
Active from 1966 to 1982, BPP had a lasting impact on the social and political scene which Magoon works to highlight in the book. Afraid of the influence the group had at the time, the American government and the FBI blamed the party for endorsing communism among the black youth. Furthermore, the tense state of affairs in the country from the aftermath of the Second World War and the ongoing Vietnam War. As such, they cracked down on leaders of the party to cripple their activities and weaken their effectiveness. The group advocated the idea of self-defense over outright violence in their pursuit of a better future for the overlooked groups in society. The black power campaign and the community programs picked the fight where the Civil Rights Movement left and pushed it farther.
The author provides historical context on the oppression of black people and the efforts made to liberate the African-American populace up to the present day. Kirkus Reviews stated, “The narrative is cinematic in its descriptions of the personalities and incidents that make up the party’s history while presenting a throughline to the anti-racist activism of today.”
