Panther Poems

"Panther Poems" is based on Regina Jennings' personal experience in the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. Through the eyes of a teenager and runaway, we get the reflections of youth in a mature unblemished voice that speaks an honesty that brings alive the electricity of the 1960s, that changed the world in music, culture, and politics. Some of the poems are sketches, almost short, short stories and others are nuggets, containing a blend of immediate vibrancy, dreamy in content. Some of her obviously personal poems retain individual privacy released in coming-of-age memories- of believing one can change the world, with faith, confidence yet uncertainty. Mistakes are vividly portrayed, along with the emotions that confound them. There are several central themes in "Panther Poems", beginning with revolutionary Black resistance to racism; the historical continuity of racism; the ancient Afrikan responses to racism and war; Black families; White families; American amnesia; the masking and unmasking of the n/Negro turning into the Black. The author compacts these themes in poetry that is often autobiographical, biographical, heroic, running the gamut of human emotions, while chronologically, she dips back into ancient Afrikan history binding it to contemporary moments in the 1960s right up to the present day. This poetry book is actually a novel, film or play in the waiting. Her biographical poems do not just showcase Panther names and personalities that we know, such as Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton, but also Panthers not readily familiar, particularly those killed while being Black Panthers. She makes human the warrior inside each person entering the selected ones into the mythic and the mystery of why we live on Earth and the unknown after death. Some of the poems are downright hilarious, such as "Airplaning to Oakland" and "Cinnamon" and others such as "Sapling White Boys" boldly bring to the fore White mental instability and cover-up. Jennings captures the American experience from the perspective of a poetic African-American realist. A compelling read that one can only get from someone who truly believed in the Panther organization and in that belief became a member risking her life for the purpose of defending Black people from what Bobby Seale has called "avaricious policemen." When we consider the demonstrations that are happening in the 21st century since the murder or assassination of George Floyd it is alarming to realize that we are dealing with similar issues today that the Panthers back in the 20th century were attempting to eradicate. In her sometimes dreamy and imaginative style, this author candidly exposes the enormous sacrifice that she and all Black Panthers gave to make their organization operable. She also exposes how much the price of freedom is and the historicity of those who banded together to make the possibility of Black nationhood a reality. In the heroic tradition, she honors the legend of Bobby and Huey the Black Panther founders. Yet, her major focus is Panther Sisters and in the poem "Sister Panthers Dance" it actually reads like a song which accompanies the actual Panther songs that Jennings shares throughout this book . Black people and song are synonymous with America where the first American songs were spirituals which Black enslaved people sung into masquerade for resistance, songs to outwit their enslavers, and songs to assist their maintaining faith and belief that all will be alright in the "bye and bye." In fact, faith has been the hallmark of Black living, especially in America and in this poetry book we sample the thoughts and deeds of a people who joined the vanguard Black army in order to challenge the police; stop police murders of Black people, and to feed, clothe, protect, and love Black people as they paved the way for more Blacks to enter into politics for the first time in history since Reconstruction. In this lyrical wonder, the Panther legacy comes alive