Barbara Easley-Cox facts for kids

Barbara Easley-Cox is an important civil rights activist. She is well-known for her work with the Black Panther Party. This group worked for equal rights and helped African American communities. When she first joined, she was a student at San Francisco State University. Today, she helps young people in Philadelphia by focusing on reading and learning.

Barbara Easley-Cox and the Black Panther Party

Barbara Easley-Cox joined the Black Panther Party in 1967. This was during her college years. She worked in many places, including Oakland, California, Philadelphia, and New York. She also worked with international chapters.

Helping the Community

Barbara helped with many community programs. She participated in the Free Breakfast for Children Program. This program gave free meals to kids. She also collected clothes for the Free Clothing Program. She helped with other programs that supported the community.

Working Around the World

Easley-Cox traveled to different countries. She helped spread the work of the Black Panther Party to Algeria and Germany. In 1970, she joined Donald Cox in Algiers. There, she worked with the new "International section" of the Black Panther Party. Later, she moved to Germany. She worked with soldiers of color there until 1973.

Life in Philadelphia

In the 1970s, Barbara moved to Philadelphia and settled there. She became involved with the Advocate Community Development Corporation. This is Philadelphia's oldest organization that helps people struggling with poverty. By the 1980s, she was elected to its board. In the 1990s, she became the chair of the organization.

Her Family Life

Barbara Easley-Cox married Donald L. Cox in 1970. They were working together in Algiers at the time. While in Algiers, Barbara was invited to the country of Korea. She gave birth there, alongside another woman from the Black Panther Party, Kathleen Cleaver.