In this podcast we discuss Black Power and the Black Panther Party with historian, Dr Ashley Farmer. Dr Farmer is the author of the fantastic book "Remaking Black Power: How Black Women Transformed an Era". What are the central principles of Black Power? Did Black Power start with Stokely Carmichael in 1966? We see that Black Power has a long history, going back to Marcus Garvey and Robert F Williams. Who were the Deacons for Defense? Black Power coalesced into a movement in the 1960's and 1970's. The term itself can actually be traced back to author Richard Wright. Dr Farmer shows how Black Power was more of an ideology, but that this way of thinking found expression in the Black Power Movement. Why is the Civil Rights Movement associated with non-violence, but Black Power with the use of force? How did this false dichotomy come about? Why do people still think Rosa Parks was either tired or old when she refused to give up her bus seat to a white man? The Civil Rights Movement and Black Power were more like streams that weaved into each other. It wasn't necessarily two separate movements. Dr Farmer refers to these efforts for the liberation of African Americans as the Black Freedom Movement. But it is a fact that strategies and approaches differed depending on what black people's lives looked like. Why is Malcolm X considered the patron saint of Black Power? Why are women "left out" of the conventional Black Power narrative? Dr Farmer shows how the Moynihan Report of 1965 contributed to the silencing of women's voices. Who were some of important women in the Black Power movement? Ella Baker is quoted as saying "strong people don't need strong leaders".  To do Black Women's history is to do grassroots history. Find out why this is the case. What is the origin story of the Black Panthers? Where did the ideas and icons for the Black Panthers come from? We learn that there was way more to the Black Panthers than the much publicized "police the police". We also talk about the roles of Angela Davis and Kathleen Cleaver. We conclude by discussing the link between Black Power and Black Lives Matter. This was truly a very insightful discussion about a topic that definitely needs re-investigation. Find Dr Ashley Farmer on twitter @drashleyfarmer. Please give us some feedback @WilliamHPalk or @C_duPlessis.   

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