While the Black Panther Party for the bulk of its existence had a majority of women in its membership, with many women in major leadership roles. Many scholars may have ignored the later period of the Black Panther Party (1972/1974-1982) and see this period as less radical because at the time the Black Panther Party was led and run by women, and the focus of their revolutionary action was on survival programs that especially benefited children, the elderly, and disabled Black community members. Schalk argues that the Panther's revolutionary ideology during their later years highlighted a deep understanding of the interconnected nature of racism, classism, and ableism. Schalk contends that since the Panther's approach to disability politics did not always align with the language and tactics used by the predominantly white Disability Rights Movement the Panthers have been overlooked in disability studies. But, sexist and ableist attitudes within academia have impacted scholarship on the Black Panther Party and led to its revolutionary nature, especially in the later period of the Black Panther Party being overlooked in Black Studies.