Next month will mark 50 years since Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale founded the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense (BPP). To mark the anniversary, the National Alumni Association of the Black Panther Party is holding a convening in Oakland for both seasoned and new freedom fighters.

Per a crowdfunding campaign site created to fund the conference, “the focus will be how the active and still committed alumni of the Black Panther Party and today’s young leaders of various social justice movements and initiatives can work together to further empower the Black community-at-large.”

Scheduled for October 21 to 23, the convening will integrate art, cultural events, film screenings and panels to hit on key objectives:

Honoring the contributions of the Black Panther Party



Relationship-building across generations



Honoring our fallen freedom fighters



Education and support for U.S. political prisoners



political prisoners A community healing and wellness space to address our collective trauma



Opportunities to hear about local work happening across the country today



Space for people to self-organize and develop programs



Caucus women’s space, gender-nonconforming space



Celebration of Black love



Watch the video above of activist, professor and early BPP leader Kathleen Cleaver talking about the legacy of the organization, then click here to learn more about the convening.