Review
Title: Panther to Priesthood
Author: Eddie Leroy Willis
Publisher: Deseret Book
Genre: Non-Fiction Biography
Year Published: 2022
Number of Pages: 153
Binding: Hardback
ISBN:978-1-63993-020-3
Price: $19.99
Reviewed by Catherine C. Peterson for the Association for Mormon Letters
Panther to Priesthood is a well-written first-person account by Eddie Leroy Willis, a Black American man who searched for a path to a more just and satisfying way of life. He eventually found his place and family in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This memoir is a poignant narrative about a boy growing up in a poor and demoralizing situation, experiencing the ways of the world, and then finding a happy and satisfying life. Throughout his book, Willis shares descriptive vignettes, personal experiences, and spiritual awakenings. I was drawn into memorable scenes of life evoking empathy, anger, respect, and celebration. I recommend this book to all.
In his personal story of hardship to redemption, Eddie Leroy Willis shares his life journey from a hardscrabble life in the slums of Oakland, California, to a more peaceable life from the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Eddie offers a bleak description of his childhood neighborhood where Black Americans were “poor…broken…homeless, and walking with bull’s-eyes on our heads and backs.” His father was an avid reader and observer of the human condition and dreamed of becoming a civil engineer so he could build nice homes and communities for his neighbors. Eddie also had a quest to find something better.
As a child, Eddie contracted tuberculosis during an epidemic where the Blacks in the slums were particularly hard-hit, and this added to greater social stigma and shaming. While he was sick in the hospital, he realized his parents were breaking up, and his new daddy would not be a kind one. Violence was pervasive, and a healthy family structure was hard to maintain. The poor men and fathers were reviled and discouraged, making it difficult to get ahead. Eddie wanted something better.
For Eddie, being sent to pick cotton in Bakersfield in California hearkened back to the days when King Cotton ruled and the slaves sweated and toiled. This was still happening? Justice was not meted out fairly. When Eddie witnessed the shooting of a homeless man, he was cognizant that the man was put in the back of a police squad car with no investigation or interrogation to find the killer. Blacks were not accorded the same respect or legal protection as whites.
Following life’s trail of challenging experiences, including dealing and using drugs, going to jail and reform school, marrying, joining the Black Panthers, divorcing, and joining a jazz band, he experiences and recollects little sparks of Christ through his life. These merciful memories lead to a journey to happiness out of despair. Panther to Priesthood is a story of redemption.
Particularly poignant for a white reader like me, Panther to Priesthood gave me a glimpse into the marginalization of Black communities caused by the flawed and often cruel, policies of our national and local governments. However, Eddie, despite a challenging life, overcomes personal struggle through ingenuity, self-awareness, and spiritual renewal. Panther to Priesthood is an informative, personal, and uplifting book well worth reading.