[3] The drama film portrays the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, tracing the organization from its founding through its decline in a compressed timeframe.

[3] In this semi-fictionalized account of the origins of the Black Panthers, Vietnam veteran Judge (Kadeem Hardison) returns to his hometown of Oakland to find it beset by violence and police discrimination against African-Americans.

Judge's friend Cy tells him about a vigilante group that's organizing against the police and introduces him to its leaders, Bobby (Courtney B. Vance) and Huey (Marcus Chong).

"[6] While Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times praised it as a "sincere attempt at celebratory, spirit-raising filmmaking", he also criticized it as "a frustrating amalgam of truth, violence, supposition and inspiration".

Featured on the soundtrack is the single "Freedom (Theme from Panther)", a collaboration among more than 60 female R&B singers and rappers that peaked at No.