Geronimo Ji Jagga joined the Black Panther Party and became bodyguard for Southern California Chapter founder Bunchy Carter. Upon Bunchy’s murder, Geronimo became Deputy Minister of the chapter. After being targeted by the FBI program COINTELPRO, he was tried and convicted of murder and spent 27 years in prison, before being freed in 1997 when his conviction was vacated. He gives never before heard of interviews in the film about his life as leader of the Southern California chapter. Geronimo is currently a human right activist.
Elaine Brown joined the Black Panther Party in Los Angeles in 1968. A chapter secretary and U.C.L.A. student in the High Potential Program, she was threatened by a member of the US organization and a fight started that led to the controversial murders of Panthers Bunchy Carter and John Huggins at U.C.L.A. In the movie “41st & Central,” Elaine candidly speakers for the first time in detail on camera about her membership in the L.A. Chapter as well as the events which led to the shootings of her comrades. Elaine is now an author and advocate for juvenile justice.
Kathleen Cleaver was the communications secretary of the Black Panther Party beginning in 1967. She was the wife of Panther Eldridge Cleaver who was the Minister of Information as well as the best friend of Bunchy Carter. Kathleen is now a law professor at the Emory school of Law in Atlanta.
Ericka Huggins was a L.A. Panther member and wife of slain Panther John Huggins. Ericka Huggins joined the Southern California chapter in 1968. For the first time ever on film, she speaks about her husband’s work in the Party, as well as the events surrounding the tragic his murder. Ericka is currently a professor of Women’s Studies at Cal State University, East Bay.
Roland Freeman joined the Southern CA chapter of the Black Panther Party in 1967. He is part of the original membership of under 20 people and was an active participant in the shoot out on December 8th 1969 involving over 300 L.A.P.D. officers and S.W.A.T. Roland was also one of the few original L.A. Panthers who stayed involved with the movement until the end and has lived to tell about it. Roland now works as a director at the Crenshaw Community Sports and Arts Center, a halfway house for troubled youth.
Wayne Pharr is the author of Freedom Riders: 1961 and the Struggle for Racial Justice and the John Hope Franklin Professor of Southern History and co-director of the Florida Studies Program at the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg.
Jeffrey Everett is father of filmmaker Gregory Everett and was recruited directly by the Southern California Black Panther Chapter founder and deputy minister, Bunchy Carter. Jeffrey was a member of a secret security group known as the “Elite Squad” or “security for the security.” Jeffrey is now a pastor in the Church Of God In Christ.
Bernard Parks is a former L.A.P.D. police chief who joined the force in 1965 during the Watts civil unrest. He spent his rookie years as a police officer on a racially divided police force during the rise of the Panther Party in L.A. This included a mission to infiltrate both the Panthers and the US organization. Parks is currently member of the Los Angeles City Council representing South Los Angeles.
Wesley Kabaila was a proud member of the security arm of the US Organization known as the Simbas who rose in the ranks to become US leader Ron Karenga’s personal bodyguard. He then became Vice-Chair of the organization making him privy to much of the behind the scenes goings on that until his interviews for this film have been shrouded in secrecy.
Dr. Scot Brown is an African-American Studies history professor at U.C.L.A., completed the most comprehensive research on the history of the US Organization and their relationship with the Black Panther Party for his book “Fighting for US,” a historical study of the US Organization.
