Black Panther Party walking tours in Oakland honor movement's legacy

An award-winning Black Liberation Walking Tour in West Oakland highlights the Black Panther Party's roots and community programs, with original members and local guides sharing site histories. The Black Panther Party Alumni Legacy Network plans an Oakland Freedom Run and Community Wellness Festival on Saturday, February 28 at Raimondi Park.

The Black Panther Party's legacy is being preserved in West Oakland through an award-winning Black Liberation Walking Tour. The tour connects present-day visitors with the movement that began in Oakland in 1966 and emphasizes the Panthers' mix of community support and political organizing. Original members and local guides recount personal memories and point out sites important to the movement's programs. The walks highlight how the party created community services that reached far beyond the city. Key details: - The Black Liberation Walking Tour operates in West Oakland and is described as award-winning. - Dr. Saturu Ned, an original Black Panther Party member and part of the Black Panther Party Alumni Legacy Network, speaks about youth empowerment and the "Royal Legacy of Resistance." - David Peters, born and raised in Oakland, founded the tour and highlights sites such as St. Augustine's Episcopal Church, where the Panthers set up their first breakfast program for children. - The Black Panther Party established more than 60 community survival programs, including free breakfast programs, health clinics, employment support, clothing distribution, and transportation services. - The Black Panther Party Alumni Legacy Network is organizing an Oakland Freedom Run and Community Wellness Festival on Saturday, February 28 at Raimondi Park, marking the party's 60th anniversary alongside the 100th anniversary of Black History Month. Summary: The walking tour preserves local memory of the Black Panther Party and showcases the group's community programs and civic impact. It relies on testimonies from original members and neighborhood sites to tell that history. The Alumni Legacy Network will hold a Freedom Run and Community Wellness Festival on Saturday, February 28 to mark the anniversary.