Activism
Women of the Black Panther Party Speak
On Feb. 10, the Berkeley Talks released the 161st episode of the podcast series, which featured women who were members of the Black Panther Party. In it, Judy Juanita, Madalynn Rucker and Ericka Huggins discuss their time with the Black Panther Party at a UC Berkeley event held in October 2022, in celebration of the new book “Comrade Sisters: Women of the Black Panther Party.”
UC Berkeley Public Affairs
On Feb. 10, the Berkeley Talks released the 161st episode of the podcast series, which featured women who were members of the Black Panther Party.
In it, Judy Juanita, Madalynn Rucker and Ericka Huggins discuss their time with the Black Panther Party at a UC Berkeley event held in October 2022, in celebration of the new book “Comrade Sisters: Women of the Black Panther Party.”
“I knew that my big purpose was to learn how to love because I was raised in a community that was not loved,” says Ericka Huggins, who co-authored “Comrade Sisters” with photographer Stephen Shames.
Huggins, who was director of the Oakland Community School led by the Black Panther Party, continues:
“The school, by the way, was tuition-free, child-centered, three meals a day, parent-friendly, how about that? And we had a connection with Children’s Hospital. And we loved every child personally.
“We knew their full names, their parents’ names, their aunties’ and grandmothers’ names, if they were the ones caring for them. And we knew what they liked. And a hug was not a shameful thing. Tears were not shameful, whether they came from girls or boys. So, the way we loved the children was the way we had wanted to be loved.
“I could see the impact on the future generation’s understanding that I came from a generation that didn’t have what we were offering. And it worked.”
Shames, who became the most trusted photographer of the Black Panthers who wasn’t a member, took behind-the-scenes photos — some of which are in “Comrade Sisters” — that other photographers couldn’t get close enough to capture.
“One of the things that really impressed me were the women of the Black Panther Party,” says Shames. “They were really the soul, the heart of the party. Almost two-thirds of the members of the party were women. Women ran most of the programs in some of the chapters. The Panthers were really one of the most progressive organizations at the time, in terms of the role of women in their party.”
This conversation, which took place on Oct. 20, 2022, was hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists at UC Berkeley and The Reva and David Logan Gallery of Documentary Photography at Berkeley Journalism.
It was co-sponsored by Berkeley’s Department of History, the Department of African American Studies, the Department of American Studies, The Othering & Belonging Institute, the American Cultures Center, the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies, the Department of Ethnic Studies, the Fotovision endowment and ACC Art Books.
Listen to the full conversation in Berkeley Talks episode 161: “Women of the Black Panther Party” at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2Lckr8cTq4
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of November 26 – December 2, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 26 – December 2, 2025
To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of November 19 – 25, 2025
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 19 – 25, 2025
To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Activism
IN MEMORIAM: William ‘Bill’ Patterson, 94
Bill devoted his life to public service and education. In 1971, he became the founding director for the Peralta Community College Foundation, he also became an administrator for Oakland Parks and Recreation overseeing 23 recreation centers, the Oakland Zoo, Children’s Fairyland, Lake Merritt, and the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.
William “Bill” Patterson, 94, of Little Rock, Arkansas, passed away peacefully on October 21, 2025, at his home in Oakland, CA. He was born on May 19, 1931, to Marie Childress Patterson and William Benjamin Patterson in Little Rock, Arkansas. He graduated from Dunbar High School and traveled to Oakland, California, in 1948. William Patterson graduated from San Francisco State University, earning both graduate and undergraduate degrees. He married Euradell “Dell” Patterson in 1961. Bill lovingly took care of his wife, Dell, until she died in 2020.
Bill devoted his life to public service and education. In 1971, he became the founding director for the Peralta Community College Foundation, he also became an administrator for Oakland Parks and Recreation overseeing 23 recreation centers, the Oakland Zoo, Children’s Fairyland, Lake Merritt, and the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center.
He served on the boards of Oakland’s Urban Strategies Council, the Oakland Public Ethics Commission, and the Oakland Workforce Development Board.
He was a three-term president of the Oakland branch of the NAACP.
Bill was initiated in the Gamma Alpha chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.
In 1997 Bill was appointed to the East Bay Utility District Board of Directors. William Patterson was the first African American Board President and served the board for 27 years.
Bill’s impact reached far beyond his various important and impactful positions.
Bill mentored politicians, athletes and young people. Among those he mentored and advised are legends Joe Morgan, Bill Russell, Frank Robinson, Curt Flood, and Lionel Wilson to name a few.
He is survived by his son, William David Patterson, and one sister, Sarah Ann Strickland, and a host of other family members and friends.
A celebration of life service will take place at Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center (Calvin Simmons Theater) on November 21, 2025, at 10 AM.
His services are being livestreamed at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1250167107131991/
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Euradell and William Patterson scholarship fund TBA.
-
Activism3 weeks agoOakland Post: Week of November 12 – 18, 2025
-
Activism4 weeks agoOakland Post: Week of November 5 – 11, 2025
-
Activism2 weeks agoIN MEMORIAM: William ‘Bill’ Patterson, 94
-
Activism3 weeks agoHow Charles R. Drew University Navigated More Than $20 Million in Fed Cuts – Still Prioritizing Students and Community Health
-
#NNPA BlackPress3 weeks agoThe Perfumed Hand of Hypocrisy: Trump Hosted Former Terror Suspect While America Condemns a Muslim Mayor
-
Bay Area3 weeks agoNo Justice in the Justice System
-
#NNPA BlackPress3 weeks agoProtecting Pedophiles: The GOP’s Warped Crusade Against Its Own Lies
-
#NNPA BlackPress2 weeks agoTrump’s Death Threat Rhetoric Sends Nation into Crisis



