Comrade Sisters - Hardcover

Book Synopsis

"A new photobook recalls the crucial but often overlooked role played by women in the Black Panther party" -- The Guardian

"... I guarantee this book will give you a new respect for a generation of women militants." -- Socialist Worker
"Comrade Sisters pairs Stephen's intimate, incisive, and inspiring portraits and documentary photographs with testimonies from many surviving members and their kin." -- i-D France

"Historically illuminating photos of women Black Panthers." -- The Washington Post

Many of us have heard these three words: Black Panther Party. Some know the Party's history as a movement for the social, political, economic and spiritual upliftment of Black and indigenous people of colour - but to this day, few know the story of the backbone of the Party: the women.
It's estimated that six out of ten Panther Party members were women. While these remarkable women of all ages and diverse backgrounds were regularly making headlines agitating, protesting, and organizing, off-stage these same women were building communities and enacting social justice, providing food, housing, education, healthcare, and more. Comrade Sisters is their story.
The book combines photos by Stephen Shames, who at the time was a 20-year-old college student at Berkeley. With the complete trust of the Black Panther Party, Shames took intimate, behind-the-scenes photographs that fully portrayed Party members' lives. This marks his third photo book about the Black Panthers and includes many never before published images.
Ericka Huggins, an early Party member and leader along with Bobby Seale and Huey Newton, has written a moving text, sharing what drew so many women to the Party and focusing on their monumental work on behalf of the most vulnerable citizens. Most importantly, the book includes contributions from over 50 former women members - some well-known, others not - who vividly recall their personal experiences from that time. Other texts include a foreword by Angela Davis and an afterword by Alicia Garza.
All Power to the People.

We are very excited to share with you a preview of what's to come!

Review Quotes

"A new photobook recalls the crucial but often overlooked role played by women in the Black Panther party."--The Guardian

"A stunning collection of historical photographs and contemporary conversations with female members of the Black Panther Party, this coffee-table book is destined to stir up conversation about race, politics and the ongoing journey of female empowerment in the fight for Black freedom."--Ebony Magazine

"But the Panthers were not simply a militia. They became a political party that emphasised black pride, community control and unification for civil rights."--FTWeekend

"Comrade Sister: Women in the Black Panther Party (ACC Art Books, 2022) shows rarely seen images of the women that were the backbone of the party."--BBC Culture

"Comrade Sisters pairs Stephen's intimate, incisive, and inspiring portraits and documentary photographs with testimonies from many surviving members and their kin."--i-D France

"Historically illuminating photos of women Black Panthers."

"Meanwhile, Party leader Ericka Huggins narrates the history of women in the organization in Comrade Sisters, which pairs her reflections with Stephen Shames's introspective photos."--Hyperallergic

"Rather, it's about listening to those on the ground to learn what a community needs and wants, then working from the bottom up to make that a reality."

"Shames spent seven years taking pictures of the Black Panther Party and was one of the few outside photographers given access to its inner workings."

"This beautifully-produced book is a visual and written record of the contribution of the women of the Black Panther Party... I guarantee this book will give you new respect for a generation of women militants."--Socialist Worker

"This collection, from ACC Art Books, honors their legacy by weaving Huggins's reflections on her fellow "comrade sisters" together with photographer Stephen Shames's black-and-white shots of the Black Panther Party's activities."

"This is an important and comprehensive work of documentation."--Morning Star

Stephen Sackur is in Oakland, California speaks to Ericka Huggins, an original member of the 1960s Black Panther Party who experienced violence, imprisonment and vilification in the controversial campaign for black power.--BBC HARDtalk

About the Author

Stephen Shames has authored over 10 monographs, and his images are in the permanent collections of 40 museums and foundations. His work is dedicated to promoting social change, and sharing the stories of those who are frequently overlooked by society. His previous monographs include Power to the People: The World of the Black Panthers by Stephen Shames and Bobby Seale (Abrams, 2016) and The Black Panthers (Aperture, 2006).

As an activist, former political prisoner and leader in the Black Panther Party, Ericka Huggins has devoted her life to the equitable treatment of all human beings, beyond the boundaries of race, age, culture, class, gender, sexual orientation, ability and status associated with citizenship. For the past 40 years she has lectured across the country and internationally. She spent 14 years in the Black Panther Party, and eight years as Director of the renowned Oakland Community School (1973-1981).