Art has always been a powerful tool for resistance, and few artists embody this more than Emory Douglas. As the Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party, Douglas used bold graphics and striking political imagery to communicate messages of empowerment, self-determination, and revolution. His work, seen in The Black Panther newspaper, became a defining visual language of the movement—turning art into activism.

In a recent interview with The Criterion Collection, Douglas reflects on his time with the Black Panthers and his admiration for Melvin Van Peebles, the trailblazing filmmaker behind Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song. Like Douglas, Van Peebles challenged the status quo, using film as a form of Black resistance and storytelling. Both artists proved that creativity is more than expression—it’s a weapon for change.

Even today, Douglas’s imagery continues to inspire modern movements for justice, proving that revolutionary art never fades—it evolves.