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A review by in_dee_d
Revolutionary Suicide by Huey P. Newton
4.0
I usually don't write long reviews, but I have A LOT to say about this one.
First and foremost, I really enjoyed reading this novel. Huey has a very strong narrative voice; his direct and straight-forward personality made reading simple. I enjoyed learning about his childhood (as a NW Louisiana native myself), and I appreciate his honesty in revealing both the highs and lows of growing up as a Black man in America.
Huey was a hustler by nature and was determined not to fall prey to a society that starved his community of resources. He resorted to criminal activity in order to survive, but I can't help but wonder about the people he must have hurt along the way. He casually mentions robbing people and pimping women without fully taking responsibility for these actions, and he still asserts that he was falsely convicted for stabbing Odell Lee, even though he admits to doing so.
Before reading this novel, I knew that Huey P. Newton was a controversial figure, but I never knew much about the man himself. I found the section where he explained how he taught himself how to read fascinating, especially since it opened up a love of learning in him that I was able to identify with. I also found the section where he discussed polyamory really interesting, albeit short. The majority of this novel, however, was focused on explaining how he and Bobby Seale created the Black Panthers, and the struggles they experienced up unto the time this book was published in 1973.
Hearing about the trials that the Black Panthers faced during the 60s and 70s was absolutely harrowing. The Black Panthers' vision was a just one, but they encountered to much opposition and infighting and police brutality along the way to ever see their vision come to light. At the end of the day, they wanted Black people to feel safe in their own neighborhoods and not have to work themselves to death in order to feed their families. Unfortunately, not everyone shared this vision, particularly Eldridge Cleaver. I had no idea that he had already been convicted and served time for rape BEFORE he became a part of the BPP. Why in the world Huey believed it would be a good idea to recruit this man for the cause I will never know. Black women in the BPP weren't given much power in the first place, and hiring an admitted rapist would seem like a slap in the face if I were dedicating my time and effort to advancing the BPP's cause.
Huey was by no means perfect, and to his credit, he never fell victim to delusions of grandeur. I think it's important not to lionize the leaders of movements, and I think he would agree with me. He consistently stated the importance of the movement being about the people uniting, and I believe he resented being made a celebrity. I highly recommend reading this book and learning about this man and his vision. I will be reading more books about the BPP to get a better idea of this group.
First and foremost, I really enjoyed reading this novel. Huey has a very strong narrative voice; his direct and straight-forward personality made reading simple. I enjoyed learning about his childhood (as a NW Louisiana native myself), and I appreciate his honesty in revealing both the highs and lows of growing up as a Black man in America.
Huey was a hustler by nature and was determined not to fall prey to a society that starved his community of resources. He resorted to criminal activity in order to survive, but I can't help but wonder about the people he must have hurt along the way. He casually mentions robbing people and pimping women without fully taking responsibility for these actions, and he still asserts that he was falsely convicted for stabbing Odell Lee, even though he admits to doing so.
Before reading this novel, I knew that Huey P. Newton was a controversial figure, but I never knew much about the man himself. I found the section where he explained how he taught himself how to read fascinating, especially since it opened up a love of learning in him that I was able to identify with. I also found the section where he discussed polyamory really interesting, albeit short. The majority of this novel, however, was focused on explaining how he and Bobby Seale created the Black Panthers, and the struggles they experienced up unto the time this book was published in 1973.
Hearing about the trials that the Black Panthers faced during the 60s and 70s was absolutely harrowing. The Black Panthers' vision was a just one, but they encountered to much opposition and infighting and police brutality along the way to ever see their vision come to light. At the end of the day, they wanted Black people to feel safe in their own neighborhoods and not have to work themselves to death in order to feed their families. Unfortunately, not everyone shared this vision, particularly Eldridge Cleaver. I had no idea that he had already been convicted and served time for rape BEFORE he became a part of the BPP. Why in the world Huey believed it would be a good idea to recruit this man for the cause I will never know. Black women in the BPP weren't given much power in the first place, and hiring an admitted rapist would seem like a slap in the face if I were dedicating my time and effort to advancing the BPP's cause.
Huey was by no means perfect, and to his credit, he never fell victim to delusions of grandeur. I think it's important not to lionize the leaders of movements, and I think he would agree with me. He consistently stated the importance of the movement being about the people uniting, and I believe he resented being made a celebrity. I highly recommend reading this book and learning about this man and his vision. I will be reading more books about the BPP to get a better idea of this group.