by Reginald Major

This book remains an important and valuable narrative, providing a unique perspective for exploring the early history of the Black Panther Party. It was first published in 1971 as an insider's portrait of the rapidly expanding Panther movement. Reginald Major had special access to rank-and-file Panthers, and the Party's top leadership. He was an associate of Eldridge Cleaver, the Party's Minister of Information, who introduced him to Party co-founders Huey Newton and Bobby Seale. These relationships allowed him to see and present the Panthers as serious activists committed to Black liberation. This contrasted with the image projected by the FBI and COINTELPRO of the Panthers as gun-toting militants without purpose.