{"id":498719,"date":"2026-10-17T01:46:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-17T01:46:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/498719\/"},"modified":"2026-10-17T01:46:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T01:46:15","slug":"black-panther-party-history-is-all-over-oakland-heres-where-to-look","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/498719\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Panther Party history is all over Oakland. Here’s where to look"},"content":{"rendered":"

This October marks 60 years since the founding of the Black Panther Party<\/a>, the revolutionary organization launched in Oakland by two friends from Merritt College, Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton. That\u2019s when the organizers released their influential Ten-Point Program<\/a> laying out the party\u2019s primary goals, which included the right to decent housing, free healthcare and an end to police brutality.<\/p>\n

In the wake of an FBI campaign of infiltration and disruption, and facing internal financial and legal problems, the party dissolved in 1982<\/a>. But the Panthers left an imprint on social programs and revolutionary thinking across the country and around the world, and have a storied history in the Town.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Here we offer a roadmap for a walking, cycling or driving tour of the Black Panther Party\u2019s Oakland, guiding you on where to find the sites of historic party protests and programs; commemorations including murals and street signs; and the Black Panther museum. The list isn\u2019t comprehensive \u2014 we\u2019ve mostly avoided private residences, for example, or the sites where party members were killed. Some of what we\u2019ve included are public locations, while others are now home to new businesses. Each helps give a sense of the Panthers\u2019 history and legacy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Downtown<\/p>\n

Mural honoring Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton<\/p>\n

7th and Washington streets
Start near Old Oakland by visiting an interactive 30-foot-long mural that honors Newton and Seale, the Black Panther Party\u2019s founders. The artists Timothy B<\/a>., Kiss My Black Arts<\/a> and Mali Byers<\/a> painted the mural, teaming up with archivist Damien McDuffie, who created an augmented reality app, Black Terminus, to bring the painting to life<\/a>. People who visit the site can download the app<\/a> and point it at the mural to explore additional graphics and video. This isn\u2019t the only Black Panther mural that Black Terminus brings to life; others include the Women of the Black Panther Party<\/a> and the Seize the Time<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"BLACKA mural honors Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton at the corner of 7th and Washington streets. Credit: Godofredo Vasquez for The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

Black Panther Party Museum<\/p>\n

1427 Broadway<\/p>\n

\"BLACKThe Black Panther Party Museum in Oakland. Credit: Godofredo Vasquez for The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

From the mural, walk up Broadway toward 14th Street to visit the museum, which opened its doors in January 2024<\/a>. The museum is the vision of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation, a nonprofit co-founded in 1995 by Fredrika Newton, a former Panther and Newton\u2019s widow, and David Hillard, the party\u2019s former chief of staff. The museum, led by Xavier Buck<\/a>, has hosted dozens of community events. It\u2019s open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and entrance is free.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Black Panther Party Boulevard<\/p>\n

Broadway between 14th and 17th streets
When you walk out of the museum, you\u2019ll notice the latest landmark honoring the party. On Oct. 6, 2026, District 3 councilmember Carroll Fife introduced legislation<\/a> to commemoratively rename this stretch of Broadway to honor the Panthers. The signs are scheduled to go up with a commemoration on Saturday, October 17, at 11:30 a.m..<\/p>\n

Rene\u00e9 C. Davidson Courthouse<\/p>\n

1225 Fallon St.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\"BLACKKathleen Cleaver and members of the Black Panther Party hold a rally in front of Alameda County courthouse, circa 1960s. Credit: Oakland Post Photograph Collection, African American Museum & Library at Oakland, Oakland Public Library<\/p>\n

Head down to 12th Street and go left seven blocks to reach the Rene\u00e9 C. Davidson Courthouse. From 1967 to 1970, the Alameda County Courthouse was the site of\u00a0 \u201cFree Huey\u201d protests<\/a> during the murder trial of Newton,<\/a> who was accused of killing Oakland police officer John Frey. (Newton was convicted on the lesser charge of manslaughter, a conviction that was later thrown out.) At one such protest, on July 15, 1968, two dozen police officers forcibly removed<\/a> Black Panthers and other activists from the courthouse steps. After his release from prison in 1970, Newton addressed thousands of supporters<\/a> just steps away.<\/p>\n

West Oakland<\/p>\n

Women of the Black Panther Party mural<\/p>\n

831 Center St.<\/p>\n

\"BLACKThis large mural on the wall of a private home centers Black women engaged in voting rights, self-defense and health care work. Credit: Godofredo Vasquez for The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

West Oakland, the historic home of Oakland\u2019s Black community, is ground zero for Black Panther landmarks, including this mural on the side of a private home. In 2020, West Oakland resident Jilchristina Vest set out to bring more visibility to the contributions of Black women in Oakland, particularly the Black Panther Party members and volunteers who led many of the organization\u2019s community survival programs \u2014 from free groceries to free breakfast programs \u2014 and accounted for an estimated two-thirds of the organization<\/a>. Vest decided to use the side of her home facing 9th Street as a canvas for a mural.<\/a> The large artwork by Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith<\/a> centers on three Black women engaged in voting rights, self-defense and health care work, reflecting three of the party\u2019s founding principles.<\/p>\n

Dr. Huey P. Newton Way<\/p>\n

9th and Center streets<\/p>\n

\"\"Dr. Huey P. Newton Way was designated in 2021 at the corner of 9th and Center streets in West Oakland. Credit: Godofredo Vasquez for The Oaklandside Credit: Amir Aziz\/The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

Go one block left on 9th Street to see the first Oakland street to be renamed to honor the Panthers. In the summer of 2020, then District 3 councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney introduced a resolution to rename this intersection<\/a> after Newton, who died in 1989. In February 2021, residents, activists, city officials and community leaders gathered here<\/a> to dedicate a three-block section of 9th Street as Huey P. Newton Way.<\/p>\n

Dr. Huey P. Newton sculpture<\/p>\n

9th Street and Mandela Parkway<\/p>\n

\"HueyArtist Dana King unveiled her sculpture of Huey Newton as part of the Black Panther Party\u2019s 55th anniversary celebration in 2021. Credit: Amir Aziz\/The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

Keep walking along 9th Street\/Dr. Huey P. Newton Way toward Mandela Parkway to see a sculptural Panther tribute. In the fall of 2021, as part of the party\u2019s 55th anniversary<\/a>, the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation, led at the time by Fredrika Newton, unveiled a bronze bust of Newton<\/a> created by artist and former KPIX reporter Dana King.<\/p>\n

Untitled mural<\/p>\n

7th and Wood streets<\/p>\n

\"BLACKA Black Panther Party mural at the intersection of 7th and Wood streets. Credit: Godofredo Vasquez for The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

Over in West Oakland, this untitled mural is tricky to access unless you are driving. It\u2019s located off 7th and Wood streets, and there, right at the Interstate 880 entrance, you\u2019ll see it. The photo-realist mural, one of over a dozen murals by Oakland artist Refa One<\/a>, depicts party members wearing leather jackets and berets with their fists in the air. This piece is a collaboration between Refa, his son Madow Futur<\/a>, Aeos One<\/a> and Maliwop<\/a>. Refa, founder of the AeroSoul<\/a> art collective, has deep ties to the Panthers<\/a>: Both of his parents were rank-and-file members, and his father, Ducho Dennis, was the party\u2019s official photographer.<\/p>\n

Serve the People mural<\/p>\n

14th and Peralta streets<\/p>\n

\"BLACKThe first Black Panther Party mural in Oakland to be painted by Black people. Credit: Godofredo Vasquez for The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

Head from 7th Street toward Peralta Street about six blocks for a glimpse of another of Refa One\u2019s murals. In 2017, he joined forces with the artist Batsh Lo<\/a> to produce the<\/a> first Black Panther Party mural in Oakland<\/a> to be painted by Black people. The mural on the exterior wall of Sav-Mor Liquors depicts Newton against a blue background with African Adinkra symbols along the top, next to the iconic Panther phrase \u201cServe the People.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Bobby Hutton Grove<\/p>\n

1651 Adeline St.
Walk up Peralta, then go right a few blocks, to reach DeFremery Park, the site of multiple Black Panther Party protests, gatherings and outreach programs. In 2016, then councilmember McElhaney introduced a resolution<\/a> to rename a grove of trees at the park to honor Bobby Hutton, the first official member of the Black Panther Party, who was shot and killed by Oakland police in 1968<\/a> at age 17. The grove is located just west of 16th and Adeline streets.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Seize the Time mural<\/p>\n

2601 San Pablo Ave.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"BLACKThe Homeless Action Center commissioned the Aerosoul collective to cover its building with a series of community murals. Credit: Godofredo Vasquez for The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

Your next stop, another mural, is almost a mile away; get there by going west on 18th Street and up Market Street to San Pablo Avenue. In 2021, the Homeless Action Center commissioned the Aerosoul collective<\/a> to cover both sides of its building with a series of community murals<\/a>. They are dedicated to the themes \u201cMoms for Housing,\u201d which honors the collective of Black women who occupied an Oakland home to fight for equitable housing<\/a> in 2019; \u201cJustice,\u201d which depicts women of the Black Panther Party alongside a quote by Harlem party member Assata Shakur: \u201cIt is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win\u201d; and \u201cSeize the Time,\u201d the slogan of the party\u2019s newspaper, which depicts Newton and Seale alongside one plank of the party\u2019s 10-point platform: \u201cWe want decent housing for shelter of human beings.\u201d<\/p>\n

Site of the Free Breakfast Program<\/p>\n

2624 West St.
Walk one block east on 27th Street to reach the site of one of the Panthers\u2019 most ambitious community programs, which operated out of St. Augustine\u2019s Episcopal Church. The Free Breakfast Program, launched in 1969, fed children before school for free so they wouldn\u2019t go hungry. On its first day, the Panthers fed 11 children with a menu consisting of chocolate milk, eggs, meat, cereal and fresh oranges. By the end of the year, the program was feeding 20,000 children<\/a> in cities across the country, five days a week. The program helped to put pressure on the federal government to expand its own lunch assistance plan across the country. By 1975, Congress made the school lunch program permanent<\/a>. St. Augustine later merged with Trinity Episcopal Church<\/a>; the combined congregations now hold services at 521 29th St.<\/p>\n

Community Food Market mural<\/p>\n

3105 San Pablo Ave.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"BLACKA mural honors Mary Ann \u201cMother\u201d Wright, an activist who fed West Oakland residents for over three decades and pays tribute to the Black Panther Party\u2019s free breakfast program. Credit: Godofredo Vasquez for The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

Return to San Pablo Avenue, and about four and a half blocks north you\u2019ll see another mural. In 2022, artist Jack Leamy collaborated with the Center for ArtEsteem<\/a> and Community Vision to create this mural on the wall of what was then Community Foods, a crowd-funded grocery store that opened in 2019<\/a> and shuttered in 2022<\/a>. The mural honors Mary Ann \u201cMother\u201d Wright, a West Oakland activist who fed West Oakland residents for over three decades until her death in 2009<\/a>, and pays tribute to the party\u2019s free breakfast program.<\/p>\n

North Oakland<\/p>\n

The former Kasper\u2019s Hot Dogs<\/p>\n

4521 Telegraph Ave.
Huey P. Newton grew up a few blocks away from the former hot dog joint and frequented it with his family<\/a> and other party members. The food spot shuttered in 2003. In January 2026, the funky triangular building reopened as Winky Dinky Dogs. A few years earlier, the Temescal Roots Project began developing the idea of a permanent art installation adjacent to this building to honor the party\u2019s legacy; several artists submitted proposals and Oakland artist Shomari Smith<\/a> was commissioned to do the installation, work that is still pending.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A Panther stoplight<\/p>\n

55th and Market streets
Start in North Oakland at 55th and Market streets to witness a very early example of the Panthers\u2019 lasting local impact. One of the party\u2019s first community safety initiatives<\/a> was a June 1967 campaign\u00a0 for a street light at this intersection, which had been the site of several pedestrian accidents. Meanwhile, Panther members began acting as crossing guards, safeguarding children as they went to and from what was then Santa Fe Elementary School. By that August, the traffic light was installed. Look up, and you can see a commemorative plaque honoring this initiative<\/a> on the pole.\u00a0<\/p>\n

First Black Panther Party office<\/p>\n

5618 Martin Luther King Jr. Way\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"BLACKAn image of the Black Panther Party\u2019s national headquarters on Martin Luther King Jr. Way, then Grove Street, in North Oakland. Credit: courtesy of the archives of Billy X. Jennings<\/p>\n

Go east two blocks on 55th Street and then turn up Martin Luther King Jr. Way a block and a half. Here, on New Year\u2019s Day 1967, just a few months after being formed, the Black Panther Party opened the organization\u2019s first office on what was then called Grove Street. This HQ became the hub of party activities. The office was famously shot at by Oakland Police<\/a> on Sept. 10, 1968. In 1996, long after the party disbanded, Oakland rapper and community activist Kim Cloud opened All Good Bakery on the site, where he displayed Black Panther memorabilia, including original copies of The Black Panther newspaper and a copy of the Party\u2019s Ten-Point Program<\/a>. In 2022, in the face of plans to redevelop the site, community members sought to preserve the building as a historical landmark, but an analysis conducted by an Oakland preservation architect found that it did not meet the threshold for preservation<\/a>. The bakery shut its doors<\/a> in January 2026.<\/p>\n

Bobby Seale Way<\/p>\n

57th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way<\/p>\n

\"BLACKThe Bobby Seale Way commemorative plaque is seen on the intersection of 57th Street and Martin Luther King Kr. Way. Credit: Godofredo Vasquez for The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

Just a block and a half up MLK Way is Oakland\u2019s second Black Panther Party street sign. In April 2025, District 1 councilmember Zac Unger introduced a resolution<\/a> honoring Bobby Seale for his contributions to the Black Panther Party and his commitment to social justice. On October 22 of that year, Oakland city officials recognized Seale<\/a> by designating the date as Bobby Seale Day and renaming the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Way and 57th Street as Bobby Seale Way.<\/p>\n

Former site of Merritt College<\/p>\n

5714 Martin Luther King Jr. Way<\/p>\n

\"BLACKThe site on Martin Luther King Jr. Way, then Grove Street, where Merritt College was located when Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton were students there in the 1960s. Credit: David M. Barreda for The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

From that corner, you can see the former site of Merritt College. The school is now based in the Oakland hills, but it was previously located here, near to one of Oakland\u2019s largest Black communities. Seale and Newton met as college students at the then tuition-free community college<\/a> in the early 1960s, when the campus was the home to a burgeoning Black radical student movement<\/a> that produced the first Black Studies department in the nation. Newton was 19 when they met, and Seale, who lived a few blocks away, was 25. The site now houses the North Oakland Senior Center<\/a> and a campus of UCSF Benioff Children\u2019s Hospital<\/a>.<\/p>\n

East Oakland<\/p>\n

The site of the Oakland Community School<\/p>\n

6118 International Blvd.<\/p>\n

\"BLACKFull Acts Gospel Church, where Men of Valor Academy is located, the site of the party\u2019s Oakland Community School. Credit: Godofredo Vasquez for The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

The school opened in 1973<\/a> and operated for nearly a decade, until 1982. At the innovative liberation school, students learned the standard subjects like math and history, but were also taught health and mindfulness, community building and Black history, and were offered a radical political education. In addition, the school offered students three meals and transportation to and from home. Former Black Panther Party member and activist Ericka Huggins served as the school\u2019s director. The site is now home to the Men of Valor Academy<\/a>, a re-entry program for formerly incarcerated men.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Greenman Field <\/p>\n

1324 66th Ave.
In 1972, the Panthers hosted one of its largest community service events, the Black Community Survival Conference. The three-day event was kicked off at what was then called Oakland Auditorium, now the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts, and the second day took place at Greenman Field in Carter-Gilmore Park on 66th Avenue; the final day was held in Berkeley. The conference included a party giveaway of 10,000 bags of groceries, free sickle cell anemia tests and a voter registration drive.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Final site of the national headquarters<\/p>\n

8501 International Blvd.
The party moved from its original headquarters in West Oakland to this building in the heart of the Town\u2019s Black Cultural Zone in 1972. The new headquarters remained open through 1980<\/a>. This location is now home to the Allen Baptist Church, where Newton\u2019s funeral took place in 1989<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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