2009. One man’s unlikely spiritual journey from Black Panther to Latter-day Saint By Trent Toone, in LDS Living
FAITH BOOKS One man’s unlikely spiritual journey from Black Panther to Latter-day Saint By Trent Toone May 24, 2022, 11:00am MDT Facebook Twitter SHARE Ed Willis is the author of “Panther to Priesthood,” an autobiography that tells his experience as a member of the Black Panther Party and his conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Deseret Book The reaction Ed Willis receives when he shares his story is generally positive, especially when he informs people his reason for joining the Black Panthers was not to kill whites or champion reverse racism. “The Black Panther Party is quite a mystery to many,” he said. “If you weren’t of a progressive political persuasion, you probably didn’t know that much about them.” Willis and his wife, Wanda, joined the Oakland chapter of the political organization during a time of social upheaval in the late 1960s. Ed served as security and stockpiled his own weapons, ammunition and Molotov cocktails in case there was an o