In this two-part interview, Gayle “Asali” Dickson shares with Kakoli Mitra how art played a central role in spreading the messages of the Black Panther Party (BPP). In the early 1970s, during her time at the BPP in Oakland, California (United States), Asali was the only female artist for the Black Panther Party newspaper. She was responsible for typesetting — and, therefore, reading — the articles, which enabled her to become much more knowledgeable about the challenges African-Americans and other marginalized communities faced at the time. Asali also created drawings for the back and inside pages of the newspaper. There were four artists, with her being the only female artist during her tenure. Art was an important means of communication for the BPP because of the visceral way in which an image can create and leave an impression, a more lasting impression than words. The drawings in the newspaper helped to educate and inform: for example, one of Asali’s drawings showing an elated old woman holding a grocery bag full of produce (including eggs) against her chest, very effectively promoting the BPP’s free food program. As she explains the messages some of her drawings tried to convey, Asali emphasizes how art was vital for reaching community members who couldn’t read or didn’t have the time to read.