136 W 21st St
New York, NY 10011
USA
In honor of Black History Month, The Platypus Affiliated Society will be hosting a free screening and discussion of “Off the Pig.” The film is part of the 12-hour Newsreel documentary “What We Want, What We Believe: The Black Panther Party Library.” Snacks and light refreshments will be available. Everyone is welcome!
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Off the Pig contains interviews with Party leaders Eldridge Cleaver and Huey Newton describing why the Party was formed and its goals. It includes footage of Panther recruitment, training, demonstration opening day of Huey’s trial and the Party’s original 10 Point Program laid out by Bobby Seale.
Formed in 1967, the Newsreel film collective was dedicated to chronicling and analyzing current events. In their time, they produced more than three dozen films throughout the US and abroad. By working directly with the Black Panthers, Newsreel was able to explore realities often ignored by traditional media outlets, while producing documents that the Panthers and other activists could use in organizing their own communities.
These materials are crucial to our continuing understanding of the Black Panther Party and their legacy. Any student of American History, Black Studies, Political Science & Law, Film Studies, or Civil Rights struggles will find a wealth of valuable information in the Library.
In our post-screening discussion, we would like to talk about the ongoing influence of the Black Panther Party in context with the larger question of “Black politics” today.
