Ericka
Huggins

Details

Biography
Topics
African Americans
AIDS-HIV
Art & Politics
Black Panther Party
Civil Rights Movement
Education
Human Rights
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer
Multiculturalism
Poetry/Spoken Word
Prisons/Prison Industrial Complex/Police
Programs for High School Students
Racism/Racial Justice
Resiliency/Healing
Women & Feminism
Youth/Student Activism
Ericka Huggins is a human rights activist, poet, educator, Black Panther leader and former political prisoner. For the past 30 years, she has lectured throughout the United States and internationally. Her extraordinary life experiences have enabled her to speak personally and eloquently on issues relating to the physical and emotional well-being of women, children and youth, whole being education, over incarceration, and the role of the spiritual practice in sustaining activism and promoting change.
As a result of her 14-year tenure as a leader of the Black Panther Party (the longest of any woman in leadership), she brings a unique, complete and honest perspective to the challenges and successes of the Black Panther Party and, its significance today.
Ericka’s desire to serve humanity began in 1963, when she attended the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. There, she committed to moving from the sidelines to the frontlines in the global human rights movement. In 1968, at age 18, she became a leader in the Los Angeles chapter of the Black Panther Party with her husband John Huggins. 
Three weeks after the birth of their daughter, John Huggins was killed and Huggins was widowed. After returning to New Haven, Connecticut to be with John’s family, Ericka was invited by community members and students to open a party chapter there. She accepted the invitation.
In May 1969, Huggins and fellow Party leader Bobby Seale were targeted and arrested on conspiracy charges sparking “Free Bobby, Free Ericka” rallies across the country. The resulting trial, one of the longest and most celebrated of the era, spawned several books. 
While awaiting trial for two years before charges were dropped, including time in solitary confinement, Huggins taught herself to meditate as a means to survive incarceration. From this time on, she would incorporate spiritual practice into daily life, her community work and teaching as a tool for change - not only for herself, but for all people.
A lifelong writer and poet, upon release from prison in 1971, Ericka became writer and editor for the Black Panther Intercommunal News Service. In 1974, her book of poetry chronicling her experience of imprisonment and liberation, Insights and Poems, co-authored with Huey P. Newton, was published. Her poetry and writings have appeared in numerous magazines and books.
From 1973-1981, Huggins was Director of the Oakland Community School, a groundbreaking community-run child development center and elementary school founded by the Black Panther Party. She created the vision for the innovative curriculum for the school, which became a model for and predecessor to the charter school movement. 
In 1976, Ericka Huggins became both the first woman and the first Black person to be appointed to the Alameda County Board of Education.
In 1979, ten years after her release from prison, Huggins returned to California state, county and federal prisons and jails to share her experiences of yoga and meditation. A focus of her volunteer effort was her work with incarcerated youth. She has continued this work with adults and, in addition, has continued to teach in homes for foster and adopted children and pregnant teens. For the past 20 years, she has also taught relaxation and mindfulness in California youth correctional facilities in addition to many Northern California public school districts and community colleges.
In 1990, at the height of public awareness of HIV/AIDS, Huggins was the first woman practical support volunteer coordinator at the world-renowned Shanti Project. She also developed a unique volunteer support program for women and children with HIV in the Tenderloin and Mission districts of San Francisco. During her time at Shanti Project, Huggins helped develop citywide programs for the support of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgender and questioning youth with HIV/AIDS.
Ericka is also available for programs featuring the documentary, Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution and leading a lively and engaging post-screening discussion.
Testimonials

"Last night Ericka Huggins reaffirmed so many reasons this university event presenter loves his work…and I’ve been at this a long time!  I saw a great mix of students, staff, faculty, alumni and community members watching and listening with rapt attention, while Ericka filled their hopes of being inspired, informed, and motivated during the 75 minutes which went too quickly, from the beginning moment when she centered them to our last virtual waves. Ericka empowered us with history and hope on a cold northwest night in the middle of the throes of the pandemic.   She was (and is) the perfect person for these times."
- Serni Solidarios, Director of Student Programs, University of Puget Sound

"She has not only informed students about the history and significance of the Black Panther Party, she has also shown them how her own life was profoundly affected by the political currents of the 1960s. I know of no other lecturer who is so able to combine vivid personal anecdotes and astute historical analysis. My students have been enthusiastic in their praise of Ericka's guest lectures."

— Dr. Claybourne Carson, Professor Stanford University and Director, Martin Luther King Jr. Papers Institute

"Fueled by her compassion, commitment and deep concern for others, she not only instructs from her wealth of knowledge and experience, but makes an authentic, personal connection with her audience that elicits true transformational learning."

— Adrienne Pegg, Holistic Health Educator, County of Alameda CA

"...what shines forth from her talks and presentations is a living example of what it means to be human, courageous and of service while being filled with integrity and humility. Ms. Huggins is a beacon of light in a complex world."

— Dr. Shakti Butler, Facilitator and Filmmaker

"Our attendees at the Conference could not rave enough about the plenary that Ericka participated in. We were so grateful to have her."

— Parisa Esmali, Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business, Mills College

"Ericka is still politically active and encouraging change in society. She has an amazing history and background, yet she focused on the present and was more interested in our future than her own. She wanted to give us the chance to speak as well. She encouraged us to drop our shyness and use our great voices because they are important and crucial. She did not just come in and talk about herself. She was very interested in what we, the students, were concerned about.  She was interested in the present and how that would affect our future."

— Ken Fong Lo, Biology major, California State University, Stanislaus

"Ericka Huggins believes that all humans should have the right to speak up and be who they are.  Attending this event was a great experience." 

— Maricela Alvarez Miramontes, Psychology major

"Ericka's demeanor and the way she handled the audience were excellent, so good at dealing with diversity in audience; kept everyone involved; everyone participated; she brings out the best in an audience."
 
-- Indiana Voices of Women 
"Ericka has a combination of an amazing generosity of spirit and truthfulness.  Very generous assumptions and always able to step back and see the larger picture and see where people are coming from and also very truthful in calling one another to truthfulness."
 
-- Purdue University Black Student Alliance
"Ericka can easily read the room and read individuals and that was very helpful to me.  She's so quick on the fly--she's an expert facilitator. She can read the room and move with it seamlessly. She uses humor brilliantly, that makes people comfortable with her."
 
-- Education Pioneers
Speeches

Spiritual Activism and Social Justice
In this talk Ericka Huggins will share her personal experiences of finding life-affirming balance as an activist, and as a mother while on trial for her life. It is this balance that has continued to sustain her every day since. This talk will focus on everyone's capacity to find inner stability in the face of continual daily challenges, so that we create healthy ways to sustain our work and activism over the length of our lives.

Creating a Toolkit for Resiliency
This session will be of direct benefit to students, faculty and staff as well as community participants. The purpose of this 80-minute session is for all to reflect on and discuss the race, gender, and identity challenges in school and work environments, and focus on heathy responses to these challenges through relaxing our minds, moving our bodies and acknowledging our emotions.

Other speeches include:
• The Black Panther Party & Its Community Survival Programs
• History, Identity and Culture
• Health and Well-Being for Women of Color

Media