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• 1 2023-10-08T17:52:03-07:00 Gender Roles within the Community 15 gallery 2023-12-11T20:21:17-08:00

  Throughout the first few years of the Black Power Movement, gender roles influenced the perspective on black women within the community. At the beginning of the movement, the Black Panther Party promoted black male dominance by participating in leadership roles and reclaiming their masculinity. The organization offered the “Promise of Protection '' taking on the authority male position to guard and defend their families and community. The Black Panthers Party perceived and treated black women as victims in need of their protection due to their socio and economic status because of institutional racism. Women in America traditionally were expected to be submissive to male authority and follow certain standards of behaviors. The traditional roles for women were caregiver, nurturer and homemaker as they were expected to provide emotional support to her family. The traditional roles for men were provider, protector, and leader as they were expected to have final authority over their household and provide physical resources like food, clothing and shelter for their family. However, after the number of women joining the Black Panther Party increased, gender roles and stereotypes were challenged within the community. Many women like Elaine Brown and Afeni Shakur were Black Panther women who gained access to high level roles and changed the perception of leadership. Some black panther women used masculine styles of behavior such as actions and words similar to authoritarian men. Black women wanted to change the idea of being vulnerable victims to protectors and leaders. The Black Panther Party established their own newspaper called “The Black Panther '' in 1967 which included information about the party’s activities and highlighted racial struggles of African Americans across America. According to the article named The Black Panther Newspaper states, “Circulation was national and international. From 1968 to 1971, The Black Panther Party Newspaper was the most widely read Black newspaper in the United States, with a weekly circulation of more than 300,000. It sold for 25 cents. Every Panther was required to read and study the newspaper before they could sell it(The Black Panther Newspaper, Baggins).” Many of the head editors of the Black Panther Party newspaper were women like graphic artists Emory Douglas and Tareka Lewis who used the platform to rebrand themselves as strong leaders fighting against white supremacy. Most of the pictures and political cartoons created in “The Black Panther Newspaper '' favored male authority by portraying black men as warriors with weapons fighting against fat pigs which refer to police officers in America and are symbolic for authority, dignity and humanity. However, women created space for themselves by discussing topics related to gender and publishing images that portray armed black women as strong revolutionary leaders.