Welcome to the final weekend of June!
 | The Florida Gators, Dr. Davis and Dr. Parker (Ph.D., and Ed.D), are our contributors again this weekend to wrap up the month. We thank them for their contributions to our YA Lit community all month, and look forward to adding this historical graphic novel (with themes of systemic oppression and community-led survival programs) by David F. Walker & Marcus Kwame Anderson to our TBR lists! Happy reading, everyone! |
The Black Panther Party by David F. Walker & Marcus Kwame Anderson
 David F. Walker | This graphic novel by David F. Walker and Marcus Kwame Anderson is a beautiful depiction of American history. It is the story of the Black Panther Party (BPP), from its origins to its demise. It reads more like a chapter book than traditional graphic novels. It is in a narrative form; there is a lot of text with some stories demonstrated through dialogue. Recurring tropes within the story include systemic oppression and community-led survival programs. This is a great introduction to historical fiction for those who find it challenging to read long-form chapter books. |
What we enjoyed
- The pace: Chapter one, the origin, is short and to the point. The novel does a great job of telling the Black Panther Party story, intertwining the many historical facts that were happening in parallel to the BPP story. If you read our previous blog, March: Book One, there is mention of events that happen in that book as well as other historical events.
- Realistic: This novel pulls no punches on what was happening with the BPP. It is very forthright about how the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) viewed the group and the government’s role in its coming to an end. The novel shares several individual stories and gives insight into the ideology and background of the members.
- The Art: The art is clean and does an excellent job of helping carry the story. We thoroughly enjoyed the pictures of different members, including the founders, Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, as well as Fred Hampton, Elaine Brown, and Angela Davis, which helps as you are learning about the people and the movement.
| What was challenging
|  Marcus Kwame Anderson |
Favorite Quote or Moment:
The moment: 1967 scene based on true events, when Huey P. Newton knows his rights and stands up to the officers who are attempting to violate his Second Amendment right to bear arms.
The moment: 1967 scene based on true events, when Huey P. Newton knows his rights and stands up to the officers who are attempting to violate his Second Amendment right to bear arms.
 | The Final Verdict Excellent read for those who want to learn about history and find non-fiction books too arduous to read. For those who will read this graphic novel, hopefully you will find breadcrumbs that will entice you to look at other material and learn more about different events in history that are briefly covered or mentioned in the book, like the Bloody Summer of 1919 or the anti-war protest in Chicago during the Democratic Convention, which is the impetus for The Trial of the Chicago 7, released in 2020. |
This book matters because it provides a different perspective on the BPP. Many focus on the groups’ armed patrols and the confrontational nature, but this graphic novel shows the community programs, the education, and the efforts that were vital to the BPP’s mission. We are provided with a historical context that really shaped their movement. It doesn’t matter if we agree with what the BPP set out to do; we need to understand their role and impact, not just on Black history but on American history.
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