COMRADE SISTERS
WOMEN OF THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY
“This book, through its photographs, words, and art, focuses on the vast contributions of women members of the Black Panther Party (BPP). By 1969, women accounted for more than half of the party membership. Women from every state in the U.S. — and internationally, across the world — were drawn to the possibility of a transformative movement for freedom. These women, Comrade Sisters, were mothers, sisters, aunties, cooks, housecleaners, churchgoers, middle and high school students, students at Historical Black Colleges and universities (HBCU), teachers, artists, factory and retail workers, poets, dancers, writers, and musicians, all called by the model of the BPP. We were young and full of love for all people. If the government won’t take care of its people, we will do it ourselves. We will serve the people, body and soul.”
- Ericka Huggins
SELECT A STORY FROM THE WOMEN FEATURED IN THE BOOK, COMRADE SISTERS.
NARRATED BY LYN PATTERSON
*after pressing play, wait up to 15 seconds for it to start*
“It is often difficult to rectify historical errors that are so deeply engrained that the prospect of restoring accurate representation seems an entirely marginal concern. So, we are very fortunate that archival evidence of the centrality of women to the work of the BPP exists and that many of the women who engaged in that work can attest to their own lived experiences.”
- Angela Y. Davis
CLICK THROUGH THIS STUDY GUIDE BY TAPPING THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDES OF THE PAGES OR CLICKING THROUGH THE CAROUSEL BELOW.
WOMEN OF THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY
CANDY
CRANKY
FRANKIE
BARBARA
NZINGA
LENIA
JACKIE
DURIE
BETTY
CHERYL
CELON
LESLIE
AMJERIA
ERMA
CRUXIE
PEACHES
GWEN
MAJRAH
KIM
VALERIE
WANDA
ALTHERIA
SHARON
MALAIKA ABERNATHY
GLORIA ABERNATHY
JONINA ABRON-ERVIN
MALAIKA ADAMS-JOHNSON
ODUFONDA ADARAMOLA
AYANNA ADE
EDWENA AKANS
DALE ALEXANDER
ROBERTA ALEXANDER
PHOEBE ALLEN
MELANI ANAE
GLADYS ANDERSON
NORMA ARMOUR-MTUME
LORENE BANKS-JOHNSON
ELENDAR BARNES
GLORIA BARTHOLOMEW
SHELLY BATISTE
BRENDA BAY-WINSTEAD
DOLOSI BAYO DAVIS
MERLENA BEARD
RUTH BECKFORD
GAYLE BELL MOORE
ROSELAND BENNETT
ELOISE BERCHER
NAIMA BERRY
JOAN BIRD
APRIL BOLLING
MARY SCOTT BORIA
KATHY BOURNE
CATHERINE BOURNS
VALERIE BOWMAN
DEBORRAH BREMOND
VERLINA BREWER
LINDA BRICKHOUSE
MARGO BRONSON
ELAINE BROWN
PATSY (SUMEKO) BROWN
MARION BROWN
SHERRY L. BROWN
ELISE BROWN
SAFIYA BUKHARI
KATHY BURFICT
SHELLEY BURSEY
BELVA BUTCHER
ROSE MARY BYRD-WEST
VERONICA CAMPBELL
ANN CAMPBELL
MARY ANN CARLTON
EVON CARTER
BETTY CARTER
FRANCES CARTER—HILLIARD
KAYE CASEY
LAVAUNE CASTILOW
EVELYN CHEATHAM-PARKER
CLAUDIA CHESSON WILLIAMS
ARLENE CHRISCOE
ARLENE CLARK
KATHLEEN CLEAVER
MILLIE CLEVELAND
EARLINE COLEMAN
MADELINE COLEMAN
NZINGA CONWAY
PATSY COOMBS
GODTHEA COOPER
ARLENE CRISCO
CHERYL CURTIS
JANET CYRIL
MALAIKA “POOCHIE” DALLAS
ANGELA Y. DAVIS
THELMA C. DAVIS LE GARE
CHERYL DAWSON
SANDRA DICKERSON
CASSANDRA DICKERSON
M. GAYLE “ASALI” DICKSON
GWEN DIXON
JUDY DOUGLAS
SHIRLY DUNCAN
BARBARA EASLEY-COX
AISHA EL MEKKI
JERLDINE ELDRIDGE
RITAGAY FISK
JANICE FORTE
DEMETRA GAYLE FOUNTAINE
GWEN V. FOUNTAINE NEWTON
MAUDE FRANCES
CHARLENE (IFE) FRANCIS
ALTHEA FRANCOISE
BEVERLY FREEMAN
LORETTA FREEMAN
LYNN FRENCH
JANICE GARRETT
RITA GAYE JAMISON
SANDRA GIBSON
ETTA GILLON
GWEN GOODLOE
TERRY GORIN
CAROL GRANISON
LINDA GREENE
JOAN GREY
CLAUDIA GREYSON
ROSEMARY GROSS
VERONICA HAGOPIAN
BRENDA HALL
CONNIE HALL
PAMELA HANNA
SHARON HARLEY
SUSAN HARPER
DENISE HARRIS
DIANE (DURIE) HARRIS
KATHY HARRIS
VIRGINIA HARRIS
ANNIE HARRIS
BRENDA HARRIS
JUDIE HART
SHEBA HAVEN
TONI HAWKINS
HAVEN HENDERSON
DELORIS HENDERSON
CAROL HENRY
SHIRLEY HEWITT
TANGANYIKA HILL
PAULA HILL
CHARLOTTE HILL-O’NEAL
MARION HILLIARD
FRANCES CARTER HILLIARD
PATRICIA HILLIARD
LEAH BERNADETTE HODGES
ROSITA HOLLAND THOMAS
JACKIE HOOD
CAROL HOUSTON
DONNA HOWELL
PEGGY HUDGINS
LULLA HUDSON
AUDRY HUDSON
ERICKA HUGGINS
ADRIENNE SHANKARI HUMPHREY
ROSALYN IKEDIFE
PHYLLIS JACKSON
PATTI SOLOMON BYRD JENKINS
DIANE JENKINS-AUBRY
REGINA JENNINGS
ANN JOHNSON
CAROLYN JOHNSON
MAROLYN JOHNSON
NANCY JOHNSON
ROSA “MALIKIA” JOHNSON
PAT JONES
AUDREA JONES
KATHY JONES
JUDY JUANITA
JOAN KELLEY-WILLIAMS
ISABELLA KELLY
MABEL KENNON
KATHY KIMBROUGH
YVONNE KING
MELANIE KING
TAMARA LACEY
JOYCE LEE
J. TARIKA LEWIS
MARY LUDDY
VANESSA MAC ARTHUR
HAZEL MACK-HILLIARD
YASMEEN MAJID
COOKIE MARSHA
JEANIE MARSHA
ERLENE MARSHA
CHARLA MARSHA
CAROLYN MARTIN
ILA MASON
DORA MATTHEWS
CONNIE MATTHEWS-TABOR
CHRISTINA MAY
MARY MCINTOSH
VIVIAN MCMILLAN
ROSEMARI MEALY
JOYCE MEANS
AGNES MINATEE
MARYANN MITCHELL
JO ANN MITCHELL-STRINGER
VANETTA MOLSON
MERE MEANATA MONTGOMERY
FRANCES MOORE
RENEE MOORE
RUBY MORGAN
OLIVE MORRIS
CLAIRE MUHAMMAD
FALOMI A MUHAMMAD.EL
PAULINE NAPIER
MILLICENT NELSON
MIRIAMA RAUHIHI NESS
SANDRA NETTER
FREDRIKA NEWTON
AKUA NJERE
LENORA NOBLE
CYNTHIA NORWOOD
NJINGA ONYAME NYAMEKE (PATTI BYRD) KIILU NYASHA
DENISE OLIVER VELEZ
ETHEL PARIS
PAULA PEEBLES
BARBARA PELSON
DIANNE PEQUESE
SYLVIA (REENIE) PEREZ
PAMELA PERKINS
TAMISHA WENDIE PETERSON
GUSSIE PHEANIOUS
DOROTHY PHILLIPS
SANDRA PRATT
BRENDA PRESSLEY
EVELYN PROCTOR
DONNA QUIETT
DALE RASCOE
“BOOTSIE” ANNETTE REAVES
SYLVIA RIVERA
BEVERLY ROBINSON
CANDI (THELMA) ROBINSON
BILLIE ROBINSON
PAT ROGERS
MARSHA ROGERS
MARIE ROPER
JOHNNIE MARIE ROSS
WANDA ROSS
MADALYNN CAROL RUCKER
LILLIE P. RUSHIN
OSA RUSSELL-WHITE
LESLIE SALLEY
BARBARA SANKEY
LESLIE JOHNSON SEALE
ARTIE SEALE
AFENI SHAKUR
ASSATA SHAKUR
CLEO SILVERS
PAMELA HOOKS SIMMONS
CARLOTTA SIMON
BETTY SIO
CYNDI SMALLWOOD
GLORIA SMITH
ROSE SMITH
JOY SMITH
MAJEEDA SMITH
PAULINE SMITH
YOLANDA “YO-YO” SMITH
ALEASE STALLWORTH
MARVA STRICKLAND
VERONICA SUMPTER
ALIYA SUTTON
MARCIA TAYLOR
ELLA JO TAYLOR
SHIRLEY TAYLOR
ELAINE THOMAS
ROSITA THOMAS
DEBRA THOMAS
CYNTHIA ANDERSON THOMPSON
EVA THOMPSON
JAN THOMPSON
NKENGE TOURE
BETTY POWELL TOUSSAINT
VALERIE TRAHAN
AGNES TUISAMOA
CELIA TURNER
MARSHA TURNER TAYOR
RUTH WAKABAYASHI-KONDO
PAMELA WARD PIOUS
BRENDA WASHINGTON
MARY LOU WATSON
JOCEITER WEAVER
JACKIE WEB
DIANE WEBSTER
GERALDINE WILLIAMS
KAREN WILLIAMS
TOMMYE WILLIAMS
NAOMI WILLIAMS
ORA WILLIAMS
MARY WILLIAMS
SHARON WILLIAMS
SAUNDRA WILLIAMS
LAURYN WILLIAMS-JACKSON
JEANNIE WILSON
LOLA WILSON
UKALI LINDA BETHEA WILSON JOY WOOLEY
DELORES V. WRIGHT
ELAINE YOUNG X