An afro tucked into a black beret, sunglasses over the eyes, a black leather jacket ornamented with pinback buttons, and a gun strapped across the body with a fist in the air. This is the uniform of the Black Panther Party.

Although the impressive uniform garnered public attention, it was not a fashion statement. From top to bottom the uniform worn by many Black Panther Party members was strategic and symbolic. This uniform was a shift from what many in the Civil Rights Movement wore. During the Civil Rights Movement, participants dressed professionally, classy and as some would describe as in their “Sunday’s Best.” Suits, dresses, skirts, and well-groomed hair made up the Civil Rights Movement uniform because Black people wanted others to treat them with dignity and respect. The uniform reflected African Americans’ desire for their demands of equality to be taken seriously. Conversely, the Black Panther Party’s uniform shifted from this ideology because members did not aim to conform but challenge white standards and respectability politics.

The Black Panther Party uniform was iconic for being eye catching and for its unisex appearance. During a time when gender roles were evolving and women presenting themselves as militant was modern, the imagery of Black Panther Party women wearing berets and carrying guns was revolutionary. To the public eye, the Black Panther Party’s unisex uniform symbolized the inclusion of women in the organization. However, although the Black Panther Party included women, the organization was not always inclusive of women. Women played an important role in the Black Panther Party’s success, yet they still experienced sexism. Despite this, the uniform is still a recognition of women’s power, value to the organization, and reflects the Party’s belief in Black power, self-determination, and racial pride.

Afros

Afros symbolized the pride Black Panthers had in their natural hair. The afro defied Eurocentric beauty standards that were pushed onto Black people. African Americans often straightened their hair to assimilate into American society because it was difficult to find jobs if they wore their hair naturally. Straightening hair was a means of survival. However, both men and women in the Black Panther Party disrupted this narrative by embracing the afro, showing that straightening hair was not needed to survive. As a result, Black Panther Party members adopted the slogan “Black is Beautiful.” This slogan was an affirmation to themselves and to people in the world that denied the beauty in Blackness. The slogan was also an admiration for the variety of skin shades, hair textures, and physical features that made up the African Diaspora.

Berets

On top of their afros, Black Panthers often wore berets. The beret is a symbol of revolution. Historically, berets symbolize non-conformism, resistance, and militance; globally they are often worn as a part of military uniforms. Black Panther leaders Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale were inspired to adopt berets as part of the Black Panther uniform after seeing French Resistance Fighters during World War II wear berets in a film. The Black Panther Party’s revolutionary ideologies and resistance against police brutality made the beret a perfect addition to their uniform.

Sunglasses

Although stylish, Black Panthers also wore sunglasses as part of their uniform to conceal their identities. The Black Panther Party was often under surveillance by the government. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover wanted to end the Black Panther Party’s existence and declared them “the greatest threat to internal security of the country.” Strong declarations such as this influenced Black Panther members to avoid being identified in public. As surveillance increased, violence by police against Black Panther members also increased. Shown in this timeline, is the amount of violence and killings Black Panthers experienced in 1968 alone. In addition, Newton in his autobiography Revolutionary Suicide (1973) stated that police kept a record of Black Panther vehicles and stopped them consistently. Newton recalls police stopping him for 30 minutes while looking for violations on his car. Therefore, wearing sunglasses to hide their identities was one way to conceal themselves and keep themselves safe.

Leather Jackets

Although worn by most Black Panthers, leather jackets were less symbolic compared to the rest of the Black Panther uniform. Bobby Seale convinced Huey P. Newton to use a black leather jacket he already owned as part of his uniform. Because leather jackets were items people already owned, the use of leather jackets caught on mostly out of convenience. Typically, black leather jackets were worn, but some Black Panther chapters also wore green camouflage jackets. Both men and women Party members wore leather jackets, but in some cases, the leather jacket was a symbol of masculine Panthers and did not represent women members of the Party.

Buttons

Buttons were often pinned to leather jackets and/or berets worn by Black Panthers. Pinback buttons were used to further promote a cause or message. Because pinback buttons were inexpensive to produce, it was easy to acquire them. Historically, pinback buttons were used for political campaigns and were an integral part of the Civil Rights Movement. However, activists continued to wear them as the Black Power Movement emerged for similar reasons.

Examples of buttons worn by Black Panthers included sayings such as, “Huey for Congress,” “Cleaver for President,” and “Free All Political Prisoners.” Other pinback buttons promoted a cause with slogans such as “Free Huey,” “Free Angela,” and “Free the Panther 21.” Many buttons also promoted the Black Panther Party organization directly. Examples include buttons with the face of Huey P. Newton, buttons with a picture of the black panther animal, and buttons with the organization’s slogans such as “All Power to the People.” As part of the Black Panther uniform, pinback buttons acted as a form of personal commitment, community engagement, political activism, and a way to connect with other members on similar causes.

Firearms

The final addition to some Black Panther uniforms was a firearm. The firearm was the most iconic imagery of the Party seen in the media. However, Party members did not always carry firearms. The main purpose of carrying a firearm was to protect Black Panthers and their community from police brutality. Just as police over patrolled Black communities and harassed Black people, Black Panthers patrolled the police—while wearing their firearms—with the goal of changing the police’s behavior towards Black people.

When a police officer pulled over a Black person, Black Panthers stopped and observed from a safe distance away with their weapons visible, until the stop was over. In addition to observing the police while armed, they yelled out and asked the community member who was stopped by the police if they were being abused. Newton had an understanding of the law and therefore knew this tactic was legal and that Black Panther members were within their rights to do this.

Most importantly, carrying a firearm was a symbol of self-defense for Black Panthers in protecting their community from police violence. As a symbol of self-defense, Black Panthers did not strike against police first. They only responded with their weapons if they were struck upon. This was their way of embodying the animal that represented their organization: the black panther. The Black Panther Party adapted the black panther symbol from the Lowndes County Freedom Organization founded in 1965. The animal was the perfect fit for the organization because of the nature of the animal.

Black Power

An extension of their uniform, Black Panthers held their fists in the air and chanted slogans: “Black Power” and “All Power to the People.” Stokely Carmichael, former Black Panther Party member and a well-known advocate of the Black Power Movement, introduced the slogan “Black Power” in 1966 during a speech at the Meredith March in Greenwood, Mississippi. The phrase emphasizes Black pride and Black self-determination as means to Black liberation.

The phrase “Black Power” continues to live on today and so does the legacy of the Black Panther uniform. The Black Panther uniform not only garnered attention and helped get the Black Panther message across, but it also influenced future generations. Examples of the influences of the Black Panther uniform can be seen in pop culture from the uniforms worn by the S1W, part of the hip-hop group Public Enemy, and by performers such as Beyoncé during her 2016 Super Bowl halftime show. The Black Panther uniform was pioneering for its emphasis on Black pride and Black people’s ability to create their own destiny without the need to conform. At the time, this was a modern idea for Black movements. This continues to be an impactful message to activists and present-day movements such as Black Lives Matter, inspiring them not to conform, but challenge the status quo to make revolutionary change just as the Black Panthers did.

View objects related to the Black Panther Party

Written by Nateya Taylor, Summer 2022 RFS Intern
Published on September 16, 2022