With so many resources at the library, it’s impossible to know about all the awesome and unique collections available. So, we’re highlighting some of our favorite lesser known collections in our Hidden Gems series. These are collections that are tucked away in larger library resources that you may not know exist.
The Black Thought and Culture database – a hidden gem on its own FULL of hidden gems – is an invaluable tool for African American studies and History alike. Within it is a run of the Black Panther Newspaper (also known as The Black Panther Intercommunal News Service) from 1967 to 1980. To get to this resource, mouse-over ‘Browse’ from the top menu and select ‘Black Panther Newspaper’ from the drop-down menu.
The Black Panther was the official newspaper of the Black Panther Party for over a decade. It started out as a four-page newsletter in Oakland, California in 1967 and was founded by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. It’s a tremendously valuable resource for understanding the issues of the day from the perspective of the Black Panther Party. The newspaper distributed information about the party’s activities and expressed the ideology of the Black Panther Party. The paper focused on international revolutions as inspiration and contemporary racial struggles of African Americans across the United States.
Crucially, each issue present is a high-quality scan of the original document – not just a simple text transcription (though some of those are included as well). This preserves much of the context the articles existed in and provides an amazing look at the time period these papers were originally published in.
If you need assistance in accessing or searching library resources, please contact alibrarian.
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