Series I: FBI Documents, 1968-1986, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Content Note
Series I: FBI Documents makes up the bulk of the collection and consists of 300,000 documents on the Black Panther Party (BPP) released by the FBI, and an index of their contents created by Roslyn Payne in 1986. The files predominantly consist of reports and correspondence between bureau offices that outline FBI counterintelligence strategies and document Black Panther Party activities. Some of these documents include fake letters, flyers, cartoons designed to spread distrust of the BPP, and correspondence detailing intimidation practices used by the FBI against party members. Other documents detail the history and actions of the BPP, and include transcripts of speeches and phone conversations, surveillance reports, interviews, articles, and BPP related ephemera.
Payne spent many years coding these files to identify topics of inquiry, featured individuals, and FBI offices of origin. Using computer programs from the late 1980s, Payne analyzed the results of her coding efforts and printed data reports based on the categories she selected. These reports allow researchers to search the files by section number, year, recipient, creator, location, featured individual, initials of agent, and various other topics. Two copies of Payne's index are included in this series. Several pages are torn, damaged, or missing from each. Two copies were retained so data missing from one index can be found in the other.
Subseries IA: Index, 1986, undated, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Content Note
Subseries IA: Index contains two copies of Roslyn Payne's index to the Black Panther Party FBI files. Index I appears to be the most up-to-date version of Payne's index, but is missing pages in several sections. Index II is the most complete copy, but appears to be an older version and contains several pages that are bent or ripped. Used together, both copies provide a complete index to the FBI files in Series I.
Also included in this subseries are several drafts of introductions to the index, prefaces, explanations of variables, and assorted segments. These sections include Payne's annotations and may be useful in providing additional context about the indexing process and documents contained in Subseries IB: FBI Documents by Section and Serial Number. Select portions of the index contained in the assorted segments include the headings: Interesting, People, From, Media2, Faction, and Support.
Index I, pages i-xi, 1-452, undated
Index II, pages i-xix, 1-452, 1986, inclusive
Assorted Segments, undated
Introductions, Acknowledgements, and Explanation of Variables (various drafts), 1986, inclusive
Preface, Explanation of Variables, pages 1-14, 1986, inclusive
Subseries IB: FBI Documents by Section and Serial Number, 1968-1977, inclusive
Extent
Scope and Content Note
Documents in Subseries IB: FBI Documents by Section and Serial Number all come from FBI file number 100-161993, and are comprised of section numbers 2-231. These files are in the original groupings as they were received from the FBI. They contain a variety of documents including FBI memoranda regarding counterintelligence strategies, surveillance reports on members of the Black Panther Party (BPP), fake letters produced by the FBI, and other reports on BPP activities. These files consist of photocopies derived from original FBI documents, and as a result several pages may be illegible, difficult to read, or partially redacted.
