I got an ARC of this book.

I am currently taking an incarceration librarianship class. I wish I had read this book earlier in the semester so I could have cited it in every single assignment. So much of the class about how to provide supports and assistance to incarcerated people while being bound by the restrictions and rules of the prison system. How do you follow the idea that incarcerated people are in fact people deserving of respect and humanity when the rules and everyone you answer to don’t agree? The way that Huggins and Phillips were able to show just how deep this need for humanity and community is needed, both inside and outside of correctional facilities was brilliant.

This book is graphic when it comes to the abuse Huggins endured from guards, systematic racism, and a system designed for men. There was a huge amount of history that I had never heard before. I hadn’t heard that the Black Panther Party operated in the ways it did. I didn’t know it existed outside of California. I didn’t know so much, despite looking into the information to understand more about Angela Davis. This book shows just how important it is to talk and look at more than one person in a movement. One person does not make a movement. One person can be the face, but that doesn’t mean knowing them is enough. This book is incredible.

Don’t worry, I have already told my professor about this book. It is more impactful than the books assigned in class about what being incarcerated feels and does to people. It allows for an intense, unflinching look at what that incarceration is like instead of it being discussed based on people outside the system saying how it works based on stats. Having this personal experience means so much more than the stats, considering those stats rely on surveys or the prisons themselves to report what happened. I worked in a jail, every single report was edited by someone above me and then my name was added to it. The system is designed to protect the system, not the people. I doubt every single statistic and story told by the facility and offical channels.

Excellent biography- I learned so much reading this. I do wish the pace was a bit better, but perhaps an audio would flow nicer than in my head.

This was a pretty powerful book. I was unaware of Ericka Huggins and was excited to learn more about a power woman player in the BPP. This book did a good job of balancing out both her personal life and her time with the BPP.

What an incredible read! Ericka Huggins, a member of the Black Panthers, is an incredible person. This book BLACK PANTHER WOMAN by Mary Frances Phillips beautifully honors Huggins. It's an exquisite biography and I loved every word of it.

If white politicians don't have anything else, they're going to have what? Audacity. This book details the life of Ericka Huggins throughout her time as a Black Panther, + her incarceration, life, and childhood. I cried, I felt anger, and I once again felt pride as a Black woman, because my god, her resilience. A must read.

I really enjoyed this book! I had no idea who Ericka Huggins was, and her story was incredibly interesting. It includes a good amount of archival information. I love to see female leaders in various movements have their recognition and story come to light after so long.

This book expired before I could finish it, but I did enjoy the parts I did finish. I always love to learn about more intricate individuals who played a huge part in our history.

I felt all the feelings while reading this book. I love a look into a life I don't know much about, and this book did not disappoint. The quality of the prose brought the subject to life, and the pace of the book was perfect for a biography - plenty of information, plenty of stories, and so many connections to history I either didn't learn in school or forgot along the way.

A look into a Black Panther woman, named Ericka Higgins. I had never heard of her and sadly did know too much about the Black Panthers in general, aside from the infamous Malcom X. So I greatly appreciated this author diving into another member.
This was very well researched. I highly recommend.

A comprehensive look at Erika Huggins, who was a member of the Black Panther Party and political activist yet I had never heard of her. I am so glad the author chose to shine a light on this incredible woman who advocated for radical self care and lived this value by helping other women (both while she was incarcerated and afterwards). A lot of incredible research went into this and while she had many supporters, the author also chose to include some voices that did not like her style or approach as a leader. Definitely a well-rounded book but in the end, one ends up appreciating all she did and has done for her community.

Thank you to Netgalley and NYU Press for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.

This book broke my heart. To read all of the pain and oppression endured by this woman was jarring. I was glad to read about someone other than Assata Shakur. Not that you really hear much about the women of the Black Panther Movement as it is. But, Assata's story for me has been run into the ground. I have never heard any stories about Ericka Huggins. She was a baaad girl!

This subject matter always causes me to become emotional, I cried and cheered all at the same time reading this.

Thank you Netgalley, NYU Press for providing me the ARC of this book. To Mary Frances Phillips, thank you for writing this book.

I am leaving my honest opinion voluntarily.

Black Panther Woman: The Political and Spiritual Life of Ericka Huggins by Mary Frances Phillips is a powerful and inspiring biography that delves into the life and legacy of Ericka Huggins, a key figure in the Black Panther Party and an influential activist whose work spans the realms of political resistance, social justice, and spiritual healing. Through meticulous research and intimate storytelling, Phillips paints a rich portrait of Huggins, highlighting her roles as a mother, educator, and spiritual leader, as well as her significant contributions to the Black Power movement.

The book takes readers through Huggins’ formative years, her involvement in the Black Panther Party during its most turbulent and impactful years, and her personal journey of resilience in the face of adversity, including her experiences with political imprisonment. Phillips does an excellent job of capturing the intersectionality of Huggins’ activism, showing how she navigated the challenges of being a Black woman in a revolutionary organization and how her political work was intertwined with her spiritual and personal healing.

One of the standout elements of Black Panther Woman is its exploration of the spiritual side of Huggins’ activism. The book highlights her deep commitment to holistic well-being and the ways in which she used her spirituality to cope with trauma, find peace, and continue her work for justice. It also underscores how Huggins’ approach to activism was not only about fighting against oppression but also about creating spaces for healing and community-building.

Black Panther Woman is an essential read for anyone interested in the history of the Black Panther Party, the civil rights movement, or the intersection of politics and spirituality. Phillips’ compassionate and thorough portrayal of Ericka Huggins provides a much-needed account of a revolutionary woman whose legacy continues to inspire those fighting for justice and equality today.

This is a unique biography of Ericka Huggins who was a member of the Black Panther Party. She spent time in prison, was a mother, a widow, and many more things. This book pulls from sources that have not been touched before and therefor provides new insight to this fascinating woman.

Mary Frances Phillips’s Black Panther Woman is an informative, inspiring, and deeply moving exploration of Ericka Huggins’s political and spiritual journey. By centering Huggins’s story, Phillips expands our understanding of the Black Panther Party and the enduring power of care as a revolutionary act. Whether you’re a historian, an activist, or simply someone looking to understand the complexities of resistance, this book is a must-read.

This was an enlightening look into the life of Ericka Huggins. I loved how the author elevated community and self-care.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC digital copy. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, I allowed the book to be archived before I could download it.

After reading the extremely long introduction to Mary Frances Phillips’ Black Panther Woman: The Political and Spiritual Life of Ericka Huggins, one gets the sense Phillips’ new work is a dense and sterile academic exercise about Huggins, a valued member of the Black Panther party; the theoretical concepts surrounding Black feminism; and how the Civil Rights movement was not only led by powerful Black men but also determined Black women who believed in the cause. As Phillips writes, her work “delves into the embodiment of Ericka’s political and spiritual ethics, which shaped her journey of social change from childhood to her release from prison in 1971” (6) and is “a story that contextualizes the white supremacist violence as an offshoot of patriarchy” (7). But, if one was to read on, and then attempt to read the introduction again, one would recognize Phillips’ subject is not the general concepts and theories, but the specific person herself. Phillips’ subject is Erika Huggins and how Huggins is a surviving representative of the movement as well as a stalwart mother and icon of spiritual wellness.

Read the rest of the review at: https://greatbutunknownperformances.wordpress.com/2024/12/30/black-panther-woman-the-political-and-spiritual-life-of-ericka-huggins-by-mary-frances-phillips/.

Mary Frances Phillips tells the story of Ericka Huggins through her childhood, joining the Black Panther Party, her incarceration, release, and her job as a teacher. Throughout her journey, she kept grounded through meditation and yoga. She dealt with sexual, psychological, and physical abuse while in the justice system but with the help of other strong women they protected each other throughout. Before imprisonment, she suffered the loss of her husband through murders, she was pregnant with older daughter Mai when she was arrested with Bobby Seale. She missed out on her daughter's first two years of life. Outside of school, she was an administrator at the Oakland Community School. She was instrumental in implementing the Individualized Educational Program and the 504 program. Ericka Huggins has demonstrated strength through adversity and this book is inspirational to women going through dark times and how they can overcome spiritually and physically through yoga.

Thank you Netgalley and NYU Press for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

An incredible must read for anyone! Being an activist and being a woman lead to an intersection of beliefs that helped propel the Black Panthers Party. This was powerful!

Very well written book about Ericka Huggins.. This book showcases the many hats this vibrant woman wore. Very eye opening as far as all this marvel dealt with and kept her diginity.. Highly recommended. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return of my honest opinion. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on my review.