Women played a great role in the strong, forceful base of support of the Black Panthers. Female BPP members held leadership positions at locals and national levels. One holder of these positions was Afeni Shakur, who joined the Black Panthers to help re-open schools in her neighborhood. She quickly rose to leadership, serving as section leader and organizing lunch and other community improvement programs. These sorts of head positions brought agony to proud black brothers who saw women involvement in the BPP as "eroding black manhood [and] to be hindering to the progress of the black race," (Cleaver). Women embraced these roles because of the ability to leave the responsibility of staying home cooking and cleaning as a party member. They helped the brothers see that women were equals and that they should be treated as human beings. These fundamentals brought a stronger foundation in the unity of the party in all
Women played a great role in the strong, forceful base of support of the Black Panthers. Female BPP members held leadership positions at locals and national levels. One holder of these positions was Afeni Shakur, who joined the Black Panthers to help re-open schools in her neighborhood. She quickly rose to leadership, serving as section leader and organizing lunch and other community improvement programs. These sorts of head positions brought agony to proud black brothers who saw women involvement in the BPP as "eroding black manhood [and] to be hindering to the progress of the black race," (Cleaver). Women embraced these roles because of the ability to leave the responsibility of staying home cooking and cleaning as a party member. They helped the brothers see that women were equals and that they should be treated as human beings. These fundamentals brought a stronger foundation in the unity of the party in all