The Black Panther Party was mainly dominated by male leaders, but women also played an important part in the behavior of the party.
The Black Panther Party was founded in the 1960s during the Civil Rights Movement as a self-defense group against brutality against the black community.
When people remember the Black Panther Party, many imagine a dominant, masculine and violent party, yet the party was two-thirds female in the 1970s. Women in the party played an important part during the age of the Black Panthers. Their most important role was creating drawing and photographs for the revolutionary cause. These images shaped the Black Panther Movement by portraying the struggles of black community against police brutality, and showing how to improve the daily life of the black community.
Police they killed or incarcerated many male leaders, but did not pay attention to women in the party during the 1970s. Women made up two-thirds of the party; therefore, police left a base so the Panthers could continue to meet. There was a majority of women in the party because men were getting incarcerated by the police and there were not enough men to continue the movement. This is when the role of women became increasingly important to the party. After many men had been imprisoned, the number of women in the party increased to 60 percent.
Women's roles in the Black Panther Party the included leadership positions, implementing programs, and uplifting the black community. They also called out sexism towards the Black Panther Party, as they were not afraid to speak their minds.
Some women had great influence on the direction the party was heading. Kathleen Cleaver, who was not an official member of the party, took on a leadership role to abolishing injustice.
Women joined the party because they were trying to fight against gender dynamics.