Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Curtis Austin: Black Panthers, White Lies

 
This video was published on YouTube on April 6, 2016. 

What made the Black Panther Party successful, as well as politically dangerous? In his very personal talk, activist and historian, Dr. Curtis Austin tells his story of being labeled a 'felon' as a result of his research on the Black Panther Party. Dr. Austin details the major successes of the Black Panther Party and the key action behind those successes. Using his personal experience, years of research, and some gruesome realities, Dr. Austin contextualizes the recent outcry by people across the United States against the legacy of the Black Panther Party and the Black Power Movement.

Dr. Curtis Austin is an Associate Professor in the Department of African American and African Studies (AAAS) at the Ohio State University. He received his B.A. and M.A. in U.S. History from the University of Southern Mississippi and his Ph.D. in American History from Mississippi State University. While serving as Director of Undergraduate Studies in AAAS, Austin teaches courses on the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, the Black freedom struggle, and the history of American race relations. 

Source: TEDx Talks

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

What an AWESOME testimony to the lies of White Supremacy and their relevancy TODAY! Thank you for so many FACTS. As a teacher researching essential information for my students on Racism - this is a treasure. Thank you so much and I am buying your book Up Against the Wall TODAY. I went to see the Oakland Museum of California exhibition All Power to the People Black Panthers @ 50. I sat listening to speeches by Fred Hampton, Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton with tears in my eyes as a white woman who was told that the Black Panthers were bad people when I was a teenager. My tears were of shame and anger at White America and its heinous, ridiculous, and outrageous commitment to denying people their Constitutional rights. I had tears of grief at what a horrible price innocent people had to pay, continue to have to pay, for the committed injustice of the police and FBI, for the committed deceit of White Supremacy. This is such a helpful resource for my letter to students for what they can do over this summer to get educated about the reality of racism and the truth of the institutional lies. Thank you for speaking truth to power - and how we need to see the long tendrils and fierce defense of racism in America today. We need to change the story and expose the lies. And I just thought of a list of friends and family to buy and send copies of your book.