The Black Panther Party, founded to end the oppression of Black people, recognized that political solidarity was fundamental but not enough; to fight for freedom, people first need to survive – to eat, learn and be healthy. In response, free breakfast was offered to children by chapters of the party throughout the country, along with community schools, free health clinics and many other efforts under the banner “Survival Pending Revolution.” Here, Dr. Buck explains the programs as he guides a tour of the Black Panther Museum. – Photo: Bethaniel Hines
by The People’s Minister of Information JR Valrey
The Black Panther Museum is one of the most important institutions in the Bay Area’s Black community. It serves as a living monument of when the people captured a parcel of community power, and it is a testament of hope for Black and other oppressed people worldwide of what we can do when people are organized.
Dr. Xavier Buck is the executive director of the Black Panther Museum in downtown Oakland, and I thought that it was fitting to talk with him about the history of the museum, as well as the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation which established it, during the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Black Panther Party.
JR Valrey: What is the Huey P. Newton Foundation? How did it start and when?
Dr. Xavier Buck: The Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation was founded by David Hilliard and Fredrika Newton in 1995 to preserve and promote the legacy of the Black Panther Party and its co-founder, Dr. Huey P. Newton. The organization has preserved Dr. Newton’s archive, planned youth conferences from Oakland to Washington, D.C., curated exhibits across the U.S. and Europe, commissioned public art, and founded the Black Panther Party Museum, among many other things.
JR Valrey: How did you get involved with the Huey P. Newton Foundation?
Dr. Xavier Buck: I began volunteering for the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation in 2019 when I was a graduate student at UC Berkeley. The organization had a robust archive and history, but needed a jumpstart because David Hilliard had stepped back and Fredrika Newton, having just retired from nursing, stepped in. She and I had lunch at her dining room table four days a week, developing our vision and strategy. Two years later, we installed Dr. Huey P. Way and the Dr. Huey P. Newton Memorial Bust in West Oakland. These projects were pivotal in opening fundraising opportunities so I could hire a team and by 2024, found the Black Panther Party Museum.
JR Valrey: How did the Black Panther Museum start? What is its purpose?
Dr. Xavier Buck: Dr. Huey P. Newton developed his theory of intercommunalism, which posits that global corporate imperialism has rendered the nation-state obsolete. This transforms the world into a collection of dispersed, oppressed communities that must unite in revolutionary solidarity to seize power from the ruling elite. Ultimately, he wanted to create an institute where intercommunalism could be seriously studied. However, we also understood that our local community had asked for a space where they could learn the Black Panther Party’s history and tactics from the Panthers’ perspectives. With every exhibition we get closer to our goal: creating an institution that helps people authentically understand the Black Panther Party while providing a theoretical background in intercommunalism relevant to on-the-ground movements. The Black Panther Party Museum is an evolving institution, changing with Panthers and the community to remain accurate and relevant.
JR Valrey: What kind of events are organized there?
Dr. Xavier Buck: In 2025 we hosted over 50 events and we don’t plan to slow down anytime soon. Our Black Panther Party Advisory Committee often hosts film screenings and discussions, while our community partners host the Men’s Wellness Fellowship, Revolutionary Rest, Breath in the City, and the Poetry Workshop. We also host our signature events in Black History Month, Black August, and Black Panther Month (October).
JR Valrey: What exhibit is currently on the walls of the Black Panther Museum? Why was the exhibit selected, and what is its importance?
Dr. Xavier Buck: Two exhibitions are currently on display. “Survival Pending Revolution” documents the Black Panther Party’s 65 community programs, showing our visitors what, why, and how they implemented them. The second exhibition is “Happy Birthday, Oscar,” an art installation commemorating what would have been Oscar Grant’s 40th birthday and grounding people in a long and unbroken history of state violence.
JR Valrey: Is the Black Panther Museum doing anything special to organize around the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Black Panther Party, in October?
Dr. Xavier Buck: The Dr. Huey P. The Newton Foundation is collaborating with Panther groups across the country to commemorate the Black Panther Party’s 60th anniversary in Oakland, California, from Oct. 15 to 17, 2026. We are building on the momentum of the 50th anniversary and expect an even larger crowd hungry to know how to apply the Party’s ideology and tactics today. For more information, please visit www.bpp60.org.
JR Valrey: Can you tell people a little about the political education segments that you offer on social media? How do you pick the topics that you cover? Where can people find them?
Dr. Xavier Buck: For seven years, I’ve created social media content under the name @historyin3, where I disseminate Black history and offer political commentary. During my Ph.D. in the history program at UC Berkeley I felt like I was reading texts fundamental to us as a people but locked away in the ivory tower. I’ve spent the better half of my career getting that information out to the masses. However, just like a journalist, I pay close attention to current world events so that the history I’m sharing is relevant to the present and useful for our movements.
JR Valrey: How do people keep up with what’s happening at the Black Panther Museum?
Dr. Xavier Buck: To learn more about the Black Panther Party Museum, sign up for our email list at www.blackpantherpartymuseum.org and follow us on Instagram @blackpantherpartymuseum and @hueypnewtonfoundation.
JR Valrey is a veteran journalist who can be heard weekly on Wednesdays on 89.5FM KPOO or KPOO.com from noon to 3 p.m. His work can also be heard on www.blockreportradioworld.com.