If you ask many current activists fighting anti-Black racism and inequity today, they'll tell you that the influence of the Black Panthers is immeasurable.

But as TIME magazine pointed out in February of 2021, for the past half-century, depictions of the Black Panther Party in mainstream media have largely glossed over their ideas or their community activism. "They've been reduced to leather peacoats and shotguns," Shaka King, the director of the new Black Panther-focused film Judas and the Black Messiah says. "They've been called terrorists, fringe separatists, "wild beasts" and "the civil rights movement's evil twin."

So here is what you need to know about the Black Panther Party - the peacoats and shotguns part, about their policing of the police. We'll talk about their powerful work supporting communities next week.

Have questions, comments, or concerns? Email us at [email protected]

What to listen for:

• Why and how the Black Panther Party was founded
• The name you didn't hear before: Matthew Johnson
• Why owning and operating guns was so crucial to the Black
• Panther Party's work in their communities
• How the NRA supported gun control regulations designed to take guns out of Black hands - despite their modern-day stance against regulations

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