Black Panther expert to speak on police brutality

An expert on the Black Panther movement will discuss police brutality today as she draws connections between the 1960s and the present.

Kathleen Cleaver, a law professor at Emory University, started protesting for racial equality in Alabama in the 1950s with her parents. After the Black Panther Party formed in the 1960s, advocating for black nationalism, Cleaver joined, said Sharon Austin, the director of UF’s African American Studies program.

At 6 p.m., she’ll discuss her activism as a member of the Black Panthers and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, a national collegiate organization that promotes empowerment and racial equality, Austin said. The talk will last about 45 minutes and be held in the Reitz Union Rion Ballroom.

UF’s African Americans Studies program wanted to host Cleaver in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Black Panther Party’s formation, Austin said.

She said some have a negative perception of the party, but the department wanted to bring an expert to tell students about it following the release of “The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution,” a PBS documentary on the rise of the party and its impact on American culture, which she said renewed interest.

“People are trying to learn the truth about the Panthers because there’s so much misinformation about them,” Austin said.

William Walker, a UF African-American studies senior, will introduce Cleaver tonight.

Walker said he hopes that by having a member of the Black Panthers come and speak at UF, students will learn more about past movements for racial equality.

“We need to familiarize ourselves with the history so we can put our best foot forward for the future,” the 22-year-old said.