Either Or

Overview

In 1969, several members of the fledgling New Haven, CT, chapter of the Black Panther Party were arrested and charged with the murder of Alex Rackly, who was suspected of being a police informant. This short newsreel is built around interviews with Evon Carter, widow of slain Panther Alprentice "Bunchy" Carter, and Doug Miranda, who presided over the New Haven chapter and the creation of a broad-based coalition to defend the accused; it also features footage of Miranda addressing the 1970 May Day Rally. Though most Newsreel films about the Black Panthers focus on well-known, national figures in California, this short is unique in showing the grassroots organizing efforts of the East Coast Panthers as they attempted to implement community-based social programs while simultaneously battling severe harassment from local and federal authorities.