Review Detail

The Black Panther Party is often shrouded in distorted rumors and images. Kekla Magoon sheds a light on a typically misunderstood movement with REVOLUTION IN OUR TIME. Highlighting key figures and facts, clarifying myths, and tying the Black Panther Party into context of both the past and how it has led to present day movements, Magoon does an incredible job creating an engaging and compelling history.

There are a plethora of incredible aspects to REVOLUTION IN OUR TIME, but my favorite is how Magoon places the Black Panthers in time. In typical history textbooks, there is a particular narrative that flows from one decade to the next and only focuses on particular events. For the 60s and 70s, most books explain Dr. King’s movement and, if it mentions the Black Panthers at all, it quickly brushes over their work. Magoon not only gives up close accounts of the Black Panther Party but goes all the way back to the prior century to show how events led to the 1960s and 70s. Magoon then extends the timeline further by explaining what happened after the Black Panther Party ended and brings it to present day relevance.

I also enjoyed the dispelling of myths. The Black Panthers were vilified by the FBI, the police, and many other powerful groups that sought to stop them from uplifting Black people, and these groups actively promoted a racist interpretation of the party that got members beaten, jailed, and killed. The Black Panthers, like any other party, were not perfect and grappled with their own infighting and debates, but they also did great works and created impactful programs in their communities. Magoon pulls from both primary and secondary sources and always keeps information grounded in fact.

REVOLUTION IN OUR TIME is a must have for any YA nonfiction shelf.