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GUEST: Jane Rhodes, Dean for the Study of Race and Ethnicity and the Chair of the American Studies Department at Macalester College

When the Black Panther Party first emerged in 1966 in Oakland, California, few people, including its founders, imagined the impact the party would have nationally and internationally. Boldly demanding freedom and self-determination, the Black Panthers revolutionary defiance simultaneously shocked and fascinated white America and the mainstream media. Today the image of young black men wearing leather jackets and berets, and wielding arms and a ten-point plan has become an iconic symbol for black liberation. In fact the Black Panthers were probably the first media-savvy activists in the US. But what was the public relations strategy of the leadership of the party and how did the media respond to create such icons? That is the subject of a new book by Jane Rhodes. She is the Dean for the Study of Race and Ethnicity and the Chair of the American Studies Department at Macalester College. Her book is entitled, “Framing the Black Panthers: The Spectacular Rise of a Black Power Icon.”

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