Elaine Brown (born March 2, 1943, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American activist, author, and singer. She grew up in a single-parent household in impoverished North Philadelphia, where her mother worked tirelessly to provide educational opportunities. Brown attended a predominantly white experimental elementary school where she studied ballet and classical piano, then the prestigious Philadelphia High School for Girls. She briefly enrolled at Temple University before moving to Los Angeles in the early 1960s to pursue a music career. Brown joined the Black Panther Party in 1968 and rose through its ranks, becoming the first woman to serve as chairwoman from 1974 to 1977, succeeding Huey P. Newton. Her leadership focused on community programs like free breakfast for children and emphasized gender equality, though her tenure faced internal conflicts and external law enforcement pressures. She resigned in 1977 and later authored the memoir 'A Taste of Power: A Black Woman's Story' in 1992. Brown has been adversarial with figures like David Horowitz, who has criticized her in his writings. In later years, she continued as a prison activist, writer, and singer based in Oakland, California, and briefly ran for the Green Party presidential nomination in 2008. Her work centers on racial justice, women's rights, and critiquing systemic oppression, establishing her as a key figure in Black liberation movements.