The Black Panther Party was an American political organization established in 1966 by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale, and it disestablished in 1982. Revisionist organizations loosely based on its ideology, such as the New Black Panther Party, have existed off-and-on since that time. Despite the use of the word "party" in its name, it did not typically contest elections, but rather engaged in civic activism, often with a militant approach.

The Black Panther Party was originally a Black Nationalist organization which supported the Black Power movement (self-determination for African Americans), engaged in shadow monitoring of police, conducted public "open carry" rallies, and provided social services as a public relations exercise.

However, its core ideology was inspired by—and best related to—revolutionary Marxism-Leninism. More specifically, as Newton described in a November 18, 1970, speech at Boston College, the Black Panthers espoused a form of dialectical materialism. It was also heavily inspired by the writings of Mao Zedong.