Harlem, The Black Panthers, And The Return Of ‘Power To The People’
The echoes of 1960s Harlem—free breakfasts, Black Panther patrols, school protests and strikes—returned as I watched modern Black Panthers confront ICE outside Philadelphia City Hall. A late-January 2026 documentary from Radio-Canada followed their patrols and confrontations with officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The report brought back memories of the movement’s heyday in the 1960s, when I was an honorary member.
The history of the Black Panthers is deeply tied to protests for civil and political rights, particularly for Black Americans, but also for other marginalized communities.