IN Focus: Huey P. Newton (Feb. 17, 1942 - Aug. 22, 1989)
Huey Percy Newton was a revolutionary intellectual, co-founder of the Black Panther Party, and one of the most radical political thinkers of the 20th century. Born in 1942 in Monroe, Louisiana, and raised in Oakland, California, Newton earned his degree in philosophy and used that knowledge to challenge the American power structure.
In 1966, alongside Bobby Seale, Newton founded the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. What began as a response to police brutality soon evolved into a bold political force advocating for community health care, free breakfast programs, education, and armed self-determination for Black Americans.
Branded as a threat by the U.S. government, Newton was surveilled, arrested, and targeted—but never silenced. He spent his life demanding that America live up to its promises, refusing to ask politely for what had been denied violently.
Honor the Legacy. Wear the Story. Grab the "Huey P. Newton is INerasable" t-shirt from our Legacy Collection—honor history and celebrate resilience.
INerasable: Huey P. Newton's Legacy
He made revolution irresistible. Huey P. Newton is INerasable because he transformed Black anger into organized power—and Black power into national conversation.
While textbooks may reduce him to a photo in a leather jacket, Newton’s legacy is far more expansive. He was a scholar, a strategist, a poet, and a visionary. He created models of resistance that inspired movements worldwide, and his very existence challenged the lie that Black resistance was irrational.
In a society that still polices Black bodies and criminalizes dissent, Newton’s life demands to be remembered not as threat, but as blueprint.
He is INerasble because he taught us that liberation doesn’t just knock—it kicks down the door.
Art IN Context: Renaissance and the Revolutionary Canon
Huey P. Newton is rendered in the style of Renaissance portraiture—a visual tradition long reserved for monarchs, saints, and philosophers. By framing Newton in this medium, we disrupt Western notions of who deserves to be immortalized in oil and gold leaf.
His pose echoes the classical dignity of Medici patrons or Roman thinkers, but the throne becomes a wicker chair, the halo becomes afrocentric radiance, and the book is filled with radical theory. The result is a direct challenge to the cultural canon—a new kind of Renaissance man.
This artistic decision reframes Newton not only as an agitator, but as a historical equal to the thinkers and revolutionaries long upheld by Western institutions. It places him in the gallery—not just of protest, but of legacy.
IN Depth: Resources to Learn More
Books & Articles
- Revolutionary Suicide – Huey P. Newton
A powerful memoir chronicling Newton’s political awakening, the founding of the Black Panther Party, and the personal toll of resisting racial oppression.
➤ https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/116230/revolutionary-suicide-by-huey-p-newton/ - Seize the Time: The Story of the Black Panther Party and Huey P. Newton – Bobby Seale
An insider’s account from co-founder Bobby Seale, capturing the rise of the Panthers and Newton’s influence on Black radical politics.
➤ https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/171626/seize-the-time-by-bobby-seale/ - The Huey P. Newton Reader – Edited by David Hilliard and Donald Weise
A comprehensive collection of Newton’s essays, speeches, and political writings that showcase the depth of his revolutionary thought.
➤ https://www.sevenstories.com/books/3747-the-huey-p-newton-reader - The Shadow of the Panther – Hugh Pearson
A controversial but deeply researched biography exploring Newton’s personal contradictions and lasting cultural impact.
➤ https://www.basicbooks.com/titles/hugh-pearson/the-shadow-of-the-panther/9780201408344/
Archives
- Huey P. Newton Papers – Stanford University
Digitized letters, speeches, and original writings from Newton’s archives.
➤ https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt5489r9z4/ - Black Panther Party Collection – UC Berkeley Bancroft Library
Historic posters, pamphlets, and records of BPP activities, including Newton’s leadership.
➤ https://bancroft.berkeley.edu/collections/bpp/ - FBI Vault: Huey P. Newton Files
Declassified COINTELPRO documents revealing government surveillance and targeting of Newton and the Panthers.
➤ https://vault.fbi.gov/huey-p-newton
Multimedia
- The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution – PBS Independent Lens
Critically acclaimed documentary featuring rare footage and commentary on Newton’s leadership.
➤ https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/the-black-panthers-vanguard-of-the-revolution/ - Eyes on the Prize II – “A Nation of Law?” – PBS
Covers the legal battles and civil rights crises that shaped Newton’s era.
➤ https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/eyesontheprize2/ - Huey P. Newton Speaks – YouTube Archive
Lectures and interviews that offer Newton’s unfiltered views on justice, resistance, and survival.
➤ https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=huey+p+newton+speech
Exploring Art Styles (Italian Renaissance)
- Italian Renaissance – The Art Story
Overview of the movement’s themes of humanism, classical order, and idealized political leadership—used here to reframe Newton as both revolutionary and philosopher.
➤ https://www.theartstory.org/movement/italian-renaissance/ - What Was the Italian Renaissance? – Smarthistory
Introductory guide to Renaissance aesthetics and their influence on Western visual storytelling.
➤ https://smarthistory.org/a-beginners-guide-to-the-renaissance/ - Italian Renaissance Collection – National Gallery of Art
Visual archive showing the depth and symbolism of the Renaissance—context for the artistic framing of Newton.
➤ https://www.nga.gov/features/slideshows/italian-renaissance.html
He is IN the frame. IN the struggle. INerasable.
