Kathleen cleaver

b. 1945

Dallas, Texas

Professor, academic

Kathleen Cleaver is another tower of strength in the Black Panther Party and activism at large.

During her sophomore year at Barnard College, Cleaver dropped out and pivoted into civil rights work by joining the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.

After SNCC, she served as the Communications Secretary for the Black Panther Party. While there, she organized press conferences and demonstrations and built out their media presence with pamphlets and TV appearances.

In 1984 Cleaver received her B.A. from Yale (Summa Cum Laude), followed by her J.D. in 1989. She’s worked at various law firms, the U.S. Court of Appeals, and is currently a lecturer at Emory University.