Author to discuss 50 years of Black Panther Party

"Understanding the Black Panther Party: A 50th Anniversary Retrospective" will be discussed by author and civil rights scholar Curtis Austin at 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10, in the Arkansas Union Theatre.

Austin, an associate professor in the Ohio State University Department of African American and African Studies, will present and discuss the history and legacy of the Black Panther movement. Members of the party were known for their distinctive attire of black leather coats and berets. They also carried guns. 

Austin's 2006 book, Up Against the Wall: Violence in the Making and Unmaking of the Black Panther Party, followed the story of the civil rights organization, founded in 1966 in Oakland, California. While often remembered for violence, the controversial party started a number of social programs to benefit the community, including free breakfast programs for schoolchildren and free health clinics.

Austin's book, named a Choice Outstanding Academic Title, is available in paperback. It was reviewed in the Journal of American History and is used in university courses.

The retrospective is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by the University of Arkansas Student Affairs Center for Multicultural and Diversity Education and University of Arkansas Press.