The Black Panther Party might not be the first thing you think of when you think of Oakland, but they are definitely intertwined.  Whether the movie, Judas and the Black Messiah is your reference or you lived the experience in the late 60’s, Oakland and the Black Panther Party have history.

Oakland Museum of California

First stop, the Oakland Museum of California which is by the Alameda County Courthouse.  In the California History Gallery, they have the Black Power installation.  Lots of interesting memorabilia.  Last I visited in the fall of 2022, they had an amazing exhibit covering the life of Angela Davis which I absolutely loved.

Women of the Black Panther Party

Next stop, Women of the Black Panther Party mural and museum in West Oakland. Check out this PBS clip which is a great review. The mural is amazing and done by Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith.  Inside the home on the first floor is the museum honoring the women of the party.  Please note that this is a private residence. You can text 646-306-7175 to make a reservation to view the museum pieces.

Black Panther Party sites around Oakland

To see where they held Panther rallies and gatherings, head to DeFremery Park.  Bobby Hutton was the first member recruited into the Party.  The Oakland City council renamed part of the park Bobby Hutton Grove and the park itself is known as Lil’ Bobby Hutton Memorial Park.  You can find it at 1651 Adeline St.

Last, but not least…the building housing the original office of the Party can be found in North Oakland at 5622 Martin Luther King Jr. Way.  Yes, there’s now a bakery there called It’s All Good.  They have several original copies of The Black Panther newspaper and photographs about the Black Panthers. Since you’re there, you might as well pick up a slice of cake or pie.  There’s talk of turning the building into mixed use space, so it may not be there for long.

History might not be your jam, but when on the East Bay, you can’t quite escape it.  The Black Panther Party supported the Oakland community with school lunch programs and free health clinics among other survival programs.  The museum exhibits and commemorations hope to school visitors on the complete picture of the Black Panther Party as a whole.

May the road rise to meet you and the wind be at your back.