Films

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution

Film. By Stanley Nelson. 2015. 115 minutes.
Documentary on the Black Panther Party for Self Defense.

Time Periods: 20th Century, 1961
Themes: African American, Civil Rights Movements
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The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution (DVD) | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's HistoryThe Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution is a feature length documentary on the Black Panther Party by Stanley Nelson. Fifty years after the Black Panther Party for Self Defense was founded, the group and its leadership remain powerful and enduring images in American culture.

The Black Panthers weaves together the voices of those who lived this story — journalists, police, informants, and white supporters and rank and file members, those who remained loyal to the party and those who left it. Featuring Kathleen Cleaver, Jamal Joseph, and many others. [Producer’s description.]

Produced by Firelight Media.

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Related Resources
Teaching Activities (Free)

What We Don’t Learn About the Black Panther Party — but Should

Teaching Activity. By Adam Sanchez and Jesse Hagopian. Rethinking Schools. 33 pages.
A mixer lesson introduces students to the pivotal history of the Black Panthers.

A photograph of Black Panther children in a classroom with their teacher, Evon Carter, widow of Alprentice “Bunchy” Carter, at the Intercommunal Youth Institute, the Black Panther Party school.
Spanish/Bilingual, Teaching Activities (Free)

‘What We Want, What We Believe’: Teaching with the Black Panthers’ 10-Point Program

Teaching Activity. By Wayne Au. Rethinking Schools. 7 pages.
How students can use the Black Panther Party’s 10-Point Program to assess issues in their own communities and to develop 10-Point Programs of their own. Available in Spanish.

Books: Non-Fiction

Black Panther Woman: The Political and Spiritual Life of Ericka Huggins

Book — Non-fiction. By Mary Frances Phillips. 2025. 320 pages.
The first biography of Ericka Huggins, a queer Black woman who brought spiritual self-care practices to the Black Panther Party.

This Day in History

Oct. 15, 1966: The Black Panther Party Founded

The Black Panther Party sought justice for African Americans and other oppressed communities through a combination of revolutionary theory, education, and community programs.