The Black Panther Party and the Fight for Health Equity.

The Black Panther Party (originally known as the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense) was founded on October 15, 1966 by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale in Oakland, California. While the Black Panther Party (BPP) is known for its armed self-defense philosophy and confrontations with the police and the federal government, what is less well known about the Black Panthers is their community work and their fight for health equity for marginalized populations, especially the Black population. This article discusses how the Black Panthers implemented health initiatives in their communities as well as how they fought against forces that tried to control them.