"This photograph by Jeffrey Blankfort is one of the few images in which Maceo and Joju Cleaver appear alone together as siblings, without one or both of their parents, Black Panther Party leaders Eldridge Cleaver and Kathleen Neal Cleaver."
"The zebra print is reminiscent of course of the iconic image of BPP Minister of Defense Huey P. Newton, a photograph staged by Eldridge Cleaver in May 1967."
"Keenly aware of the power of image and of personality, Cleaver felt it necessary to orchestrate a publicity photograph of Newton as the Party was gaining national and international attention."
The Cleaver family's album captures their experiences of homemaking while in exile, emphasizing the tension between rest and motion. A photograph of siblings Maceo and Joju Cleaver reveals their connection and the significance of their surroundings. The carver chair, a favorite of Kathleen Cleaver, symbolizes their life in San Francisco, adorned with African-themed decor. This imagery reflects the broader narrative of the Black Panther Party's rise and the importance of visual representation in their struggle for identity and belonging.
Read at Hyperallergic
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]