Two years after being paroled from prison where he was serving time for attempted murder, Cleaver was in the front ranks of the African Nationalist movement, acting as Minister of Information of the Black Panthers and running for president as the candidate of the Panther-affiliated Peace and Freedom Party.

In April 1968, Cleaver was involved in an Oakland shootout between Panthers and police that left one Panther dead, and Cleaver and two police officers wounded. Faced with imprisonment, Cleaver jumped bail and fled the country. Despite his fugitive status, Cleaver received 36,000 votes in the general election.