Eldridge Cleaver Author of the famous book "Soul on Ice", as well as a prominent leader of the Black Panther group. Date of Birth: 31.08.1935 Country: USA

1. Biography of Eldridge Cleaver
2. A Troubled Youth and Incarceration
3. Black Panther Party and Political Aspirations
4. Conflict with Law Enforcement and Exile
5. Return to the US and Later Years

Biography of Eldridge Cleaver

Eldridge Cleaver, the author of the famous book "Soul on Ice" and a prominent leader of the Black Panther Party, was born on August 31, 1935, and passed away on May 1, 1998. Cleaver was born in Wabbaseka, Arkansas, but later moved with his family to Phoenix, and then to Los Angeles.

A Troubled Youth and Incarceration

During his teenage years, Cleaver was involved in petty crime and spent some time in prison. In 1957, he was arrested for rape and convicted of assault with intent to murder. While in prison, he wrote several essays that were first published in the magazine "Ramparts" and later compiled into the book "Soul on Ice" – a seminal work that laid the foundation for the Black Power movement. In the book, Cleaver explained his views on interracial relationships and recounted his involvement in multiple instances of rape.

Black Panther Party and Political Aspirations

Cleaver was released from prison in 1966, after which he joined the Black Panther Party in Oakland, where he served as the Minister of Information and Press Secretary. In 1968, he ran for president as the candidate for the Peace and Freedom Party, receiving 0.05% of the votes alongside his running mate Judith Mage.

Conflict with Law Enforcement and Exile

Cleaver was involved in a shootout with the Oakland police, during which a member of the Black Panther Party, Bobby Hutton, was killed and two police officers were injured. Cleaver later admitted to leading the ambush with the intention of provoking the police to shoot them. When he was charged with attempted murder, he fled to Algeria. Timothy Leary, who had escaped from prison with the Weather Underground, joined Cleaver in Algeria. Although initially placing Leary under "revolutionary arrest" as a counter-revolutionary, Cleaver later released him. Cleaver then left Algeria and spent some time in Cuba and France.

Return to the US and Later Years

Cleaver returned to the United States in 1975 and fully disassociated himself from the Black Panther Party. Legal disputes that arose during that time helped him avoid any further legal attacks. Eldridge Cleaver passed away on May 1, 1998, at Pomona Valley Medical Center. His family requested that the cause of death not be disclosed. In his book, "Soul on Fire," published in 1978, which took its title from his famous work "Soul on Ice," Cleaver revealed aspects of his life in Algeria. He detailed his public and personal life, involvement in criminal activities, escape from Algeria, and his life in the French underground.