15 Facts About Ericka Huggins

Ericka Huggins is an American activist, writer, and educator.

Ericka Huggins is a former leading member of the political organization, Black Panther Party.

Ericka Huggins was married to fellow BPP member John Huggins in 1968.

In 1969, as part of the New Haven Black Panther trials, Huggins was charged with various crimes relating to the murder of Alex Rackley.

Ericka Huggins was found not guilty on all charges and released from prison in 1971.

Ericka Huggins holds a Master of Arts in sociology from California State University, East Bay.

Ericka Huggins's thesis focused on an education model which proposed "student-centered, community-based tuition-free education for students to minimize the multigenerational race and gender trauma of American".

Ericka Huggins was both the first Black person, as well as the first Black woman to have a seat on the Board.

From 2008 to 2015, Ericka Huggins worked in the Peralta Community College District as a professor of sociology, African American studies, and women studies.

Ericka Huggins taught sociology at both Laney College and at Berkeley City College, as well as women's studies at California State University.

In relation to her work with spirituality, Ericka Huggins did work for 15 years at the Siddha Yoga Prison Project where she led hatha yoga and meditation to groups such as incarcerated people, public school children, and college students.

Ericka Huggins's motivation came from a Ramparts magazine article she read that discussed the cruel treatment of Huey P Newton while incarcerated.

Ericka Huggins led this new chapter along two other women, Kathleen Neal Cleaver and Elaine Brown.

Ericka Huggins was heard speaking on a tape recording of Rackley's interrogation that was played during the trial.

Ericka Huggins has been with her now partner, Lisbet Tellefsen, who is an archivist, collector, and curator for 16 years.