First Definitive Biography Out About Former Van Nest Resident and Black Panthers Founder Stokely Carmichael

Stokely Carmichael. Photo c/o Ebony.

Stokely Carmichael, a founder of the Black Panthers and former resident of Van Nest in his youth, has finally been chronicled in a new biography by scholar Peniel Joseph.  The first definitive biography on his life, one can learn more about Carmichael’s boyhood as the only black member of the “Morris Park Dukes” gang and his stellar academic career at Bronx Science, as well as the rest of his life as one of the most influential voices in the Civil Rights movement.  The New York Times reviewed the book yesterday.

Ebony describes how his Bronx youth provided the foundation for his political voice.

“Luckily, the Bronx High School of Science put Carmichael amongst Black activists and progressives. Their influence instilled a motivation in the teenager to voice his concerns regarding the fight for racial equality. He joined CORE (Congress of Racial Equality) and participated a sit-in movement against Woolworth, which segregated lunch counters in the South.”