OAKLAND, Calif., June 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Thanks to a generous grant from the Mellon Foundation, the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation, in collaboration with Stanford University Libraries, has completed the nearly year-long pilot project of digitizing a selection of one of the most researched collections at the Libraries. The Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation Inc. Collection, the world’s largest and most comprehensive Black Panther Party archive, is now available through the Libraries’ online exhibit, Spotlight and catalog, SearchWorks.
The Spotlight exhibit of The Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation Inc. Collection makes a rich trove of selected digitized archival material available to give viewers a unique glimpse into the personal life, intellectual pursuits, revolutionary activism, and enduring legacy of Dr. Huey P. Newton, co-founder of the Black Panther Party, along with programs and initiatives enacted by the Party.
At the start of the pilot project in fall 2024, Stanford University Libraries assembled a core team involving librarians from across the Libraries, including digitization specialists from the Digital Production Group in Digital Library Systems and Services, Conservation staff, metadata specialists, and curatorial staff, all working closely with Fredrika Newton, co-founder of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation, and Dr. Xavier Buck, the foundation’s executive director. The team kicked off the pilot project with a visit to the Black Panther Party Museum in downtown Oakland to gain a better understanding of the Party and its work.
The work to digitize this portion of The Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation Inc. Collection has been a journey of discovery and learning for Libraries’ team members.
Benjamin Stone, the American and British curator leading the project at Libraries, described how the process of selecting, assessing, digitizing, and describing the thousands of pages chosen for the pilot project, was an opportunity for Libraries’ staff and Huey P. Newton Foundation colleagues to learn a great deal about the collection – including complex issues surrounding description, privacy, and copyright – in an effort to make as much of the material available digitally as possible.
“In particular,” Stone remarked, “the deep dive into the archival collection provides rich detail on the processes that enabled the Black Panther Party Museum to conceive and manage innovative social programs such as the Oakland Community School. Lessons learned will contribute to future efforts to digitize even more material.”
Felicia Smith, the Racial Justice and Social Equity Librarian, already well-acquainted with the history of the Black Panther Party experienced two notable takeaways from her work on the pilot project. She shared:
“One of my primary takeaways from working on the digitization of Dr. Huey P. Newton’s archival collection is the insight it offers into the U.S. government’s surveillance and disruption of the Black Panther Party. The collection includes extensive FBI memos detailing how the agency targeted Newton and other Panthers through COINTELPRO, the Counterintelligence Program designed to undermine Black liberation movements. Another profound takeaway was the dedication of the Black Panther Party ‘to serving the people body and soul.’ This guiding principle came to life through the Panthers’ Community Survival Programs, many of which were founded by teenagers and young adults. These included initiatives like the S.A.F.E. program for senior citizens, medical services for underserved communities, and free transportation for families to visit loved ones in prison. Far beyond their revolutionary image, the Panthers built systems of care in response to urgent needs in their communities—a legacy that remains deeply inspiring.”
The Black Panther Party Museum, which was established in 2024 by the foundation, will open the Dr. Huey P. Newton Research Room in July where it will feature the digitized content of the collection via the Spotlight exhibit and SearchWorks catalogue.
With the pilot project coming to an end, both the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation and the Libraries hope to secure additional funding to digitize more materials from this prolific collection. To date, 8-10% of the total 100 linear feet of the archive has been digitized and are now available on the Spotlight exhibit, accessible through SearchWorks, and soon to be featured at the Black Panther Party Museum.
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SOURCE Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation
