With aggravation surrounding racial conflicts throughout the country rising, Linfield provided its student body with the unique opportunity to hear historian Waldo Martin talk about the Black Panther Party.

After being introduced by political science professor Nick Buccola, Martin got right down to the nitty gritty.

He began by skillfully painting a picture of the Black Panther Party.

“Most people don’t know that the Black Panther Party was a group of youth,” Martin said.

The fact that the party was composed of youth as well as their intent to be a full-fledged political party introduced the crowd to a whole new side of the group.

Besides discussing the true nature of the Black Panther Party, Waldo touched on the party’s perceived image.

“Good movement ‘Civil rights’ and the bad movement would be ‘Black Power,’” Martin said of the media coverage of the two movements.

The non-violent protests lead by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are viewed as the pinnacle of Black protest in this country.

While the equally important work done by The Black Panther Party and Malcolm X is largely disregarded.

The Great Repression and historical silencing were two expressions used when the professor spoke about this travesty in perception.

“Clearly the government killed more panthers, than panthers killed anyone else. . . I don’t think it’s fair to ask Black people to be non-violent towards individuals that are violent with them,” Martin commented.

Martin particularly focused on how the Black Panther Party members are the forefathers to the current Black Lives Matter movement.

Martin proved once again that the Black community has been a force for good in America.