Though not yet coined as “womanism”, the Black Panther Party in later years developed a focus on gender equality, specifically the plight of the black woman. With motifs such as “A Woman’s Place Is In The Struggle”, the group became known for their support and inclusion of women and marked sexism as a secondary evil to fight alongside the primary villain, racial and community issues.
The Party first renounced sexism within the movement in a 1969 article in the Black Panther Newspaper. The article, a poem style piece written by member Candi Robinson, called upon women to recognize their role in the struggle and men to view them as equals. Gender equality was further shown through the establishment of a female chair, Elaine Brown, in 1974.
Although the party openly supported gender equality, female leaders were often disrespected and discredited. The underlying misogyny eventually led to Brown’s departure from the party in 1977.
BLACK WOMEN, BLACK WOMEN,
HOLD YOUR HEAD UP, AND LOOK AHEAD.
WE TOO ARE NEEDED IN THE REVOLUTION.
WE TOO ARE STRONG. WE TOO ARE A THREAT TO THE OPPRESSIVE ENEMY. WE ARE REVOLUTIONARIES. WE ARE THE OTHER HALF OF OUR REVOLUTIONARY MEN. WE ARE THEIR EQUAL HALVES, MAY IT BE WITH GUN IN HAND, OR BATTLING IN STREETS TO MAKE THIS COUNTRY A SOCIALIST LEAD.
NOW WE ARE NO LONGER ALONE, OUR MEN ARE BY OUR SIDES.
WE REVOLUTIONARY MEN AND WOMEN ARE THE HALVES OF EACH OTHER.
WE MUST CONTINUE TO EDUCATE OUR MEN, AND BRING THEIR MINDS FROM A MALE CHAUVINISTIC LEVEL TO A HIGHER LEVEL.
THEY NEED OUR TRUST AND ENCOURAGEMENT AS WELL AS WE NEED THEIRS. THEY NEED US TO EDUCATE, THEM, THE PEOPLE AND OUR CHILDREN AS WELL AS WE NEED THEM TO EDUCATE US. SISTERS, WE ARE BEING CALLED BY LIFE ITSELF.
WE ARE BEING CALLED BY THE REVOLUTION.
WE ARE MOTHERS OF REVOLUTIONARIES, WITH US IS THE FUTURE OF OUR PEOPLE.
SISTERS! REVOLUTION IS HERE! BRING FORTH THE ARMY! BRING FORTH THE GUNS!
Black Women, 1969, Source: Robinson