“I am…a revolutionary.”
Fred Hampton was born on August 30, 1948 in Summit, Illinois, and grew up in the Chicago suburb of Maywood. Early on, his leadership capabilities were apparent. After graduating high school in 1966 with honors, he enrolled at Triton Junior College, majoring in pre-law. Through an academic grounding in law, he hoped to serve his people and his community.
He led a 500-strong youth branch of the NAACP, hoping to bring social change nonviolently and from below by working with the masses through community organizing. Hampton joined the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party in 1968 and moved to downtown Chicago to network with the people from his new base.
Over the next year, Hampton worked to change the social base of the city of Chicago. Most notably, he formed a non-aggression pact between several rival street gangs, and also worked towards founding a class-conscious, intra-ethnic network of multi-racial organizations that included the Young Lords Party (which organized Latino youth), the Young Patriots organization (which organized white youth from Appalachia), the Red Guard Party (Asian Americans), the Brown Berets (Chicanos from the Western United States) and SDS (mainly white youth from college campuses).
This intra-ethnic organizing and peace treaty negotiation between street gangs was seen by the FBI as a dangerous threat to the “internal stability of the United States.” Hampton was legally hounded and eventually assassinated on the morning of December 4th, 1969, by the Chicago Police Department. His death occurred while sleeping heavily due to being effectively sedated by a large dose of a tranquilizer administered by an FBI informant, William O’Neal. He was 21 years old.
Hampton was on the verge of merging a street gang with thousands of members, the Blackstone Rangers, with the Black Panther Party, which would have doubled the size of the national party. He was also on the verge of becoming Chief of Staff of the Black Panther Party Central Committee. Had he lived, he would have spread revolutionary theory and practice to untold millions of working class black people.
Chairman Fred Hampton worked for our freedom in his 21 years of life and left us invaluable lessons to be carried down through the generations. His legacy is to be upheld, and his revolutionary practice and theory is to be studied by all black people who long to be free.
Sources:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/chi-chicagodays-pantherraid-story-story.html
http://www.democracynow.org/2014/12/4/watch_the_assassination_of_fred_hampton
45 Comments
This is a topic which is near to my heart… Thank you! Exactly where are your contact details though?
This is great!
Great stuff to check out, glad that yandex brought me here, Keep Up great job
bing took me here. Cheers!
Thanks for this website. I definitely agree with what you are saying.
I am not rattling great with English but I get hold this really easygoing to read .
I like this website its a master peace ! Glad I found this on google .
Just wanna input on few general things, The website layout is perfect, the articles is very superb : D.
I really enjoy examining on this website , it has got interesting goodies .
Appreciate it for this howling post, I am glad I observed this internet site on yahoo.
I conceive you have mentioned some very interesting details , appreciate it for the post.
This is important information that our people must know, learn from and emulate! There is power and strength in numbers…. we must continue to support
One another. Loved the article!!!¹
This does interest me
I like this page, because so much useful stuff on here : D.
Great writing to see, glad that duckduck brought me here, Keep Up good job
I must say got into this article. I found it to be interesting and loaded with unique points of interest.
I kinda got into this web. I found it to be interesting and loaded with unique points of interest.
I was just a Child at the Time , But I was an angry child In 68 I was 10yrs Old a militant of Course and Family member of a Mostly Military Family I was coming home with Groceries for Mom MLK.Jr. was Murdered. I was militant child after that and Damm if I didn’t try the Military lol. I just wanted to get away from the BS going On.
Great, this is what I was browsing for in yahoo
Thanks for this post. I definitely agree with what you are saying.
I like this article, because so much useful stuff on here : D.
Morning, here from bing, me enjoyng this, i will come back again.
You got yourself a new rader.
Appreciate it for this howling post, I am glad I observed this internet site on yahoo.
Just wanna input on few general things, The website layout is perfect, the articles is very superb : D.
Thanks for this site. I definitely agree with what you are saying.
I’m impressed, I have to admit. Genuinely rarely should i encounter a weblog that’s both educative and entertaining, and let me tell you, you may have hit the nail about the head. Your idea is outstanding; the problem is an element that insufficient persons are speaking intelligently about. I am delighted we came across this during my look for something with this.
Appreciate it for this howling post, I am glad I observed this internet site on yahoo.
I really enjoy examining on this web , it has got good goodies .
I enjoying, will read more. Thanks!
You got yourself a new rader.
Hi, google lead me here, keep up good work.
This is nice!
I love reading through and I believe this website got some genuinely utilitarian stuff on it! .
I simply must tell you that you have an excellent and unique site that I must say enjoyed reading.
Some truly fine content on this web site , appreciate it for contribution.
I am not rattling great with English but I get hold this really easygoing to read .
Respect to website author , some wonderful entropy.
very Great post, i actually enjoyed this web site, carry on it
Thanks for discussing your ideas. I’d personally also like to convey that video games have been ever evolving. Better technology and innovations have assisted create practical and enjoyable games. These entertainment video games were not actually sensible when the actual concept was first of all being attempted. Just like other styles of electronics, video games way too have had to advance via many many years. This itself is testimony towards the fast growth and development of video games.
stays on topic and states valid points. Thank you.
Wow if we can do then, we can do it now, but the FBI is ok with us killing each other in the streets I’m not more power to the people Black Power!!!!!
Thats a got dam shame this man never reached his full potential but thats how whites are ifmyour a treat the try tomcut youndown before your a serious problem dont give you a chance why scared but it will be another great black leader you want stop
He was a brilliant unifier and strategist.
I was in the BBP, in Chicago during those times. I do not recall Chairman Fred, living downtown. The address of the office was, 2350 W. Madison. The apartment building that Fred Hampton AND Mark Clark, was killed in was in,
the 2300 block on Monroe. I vividly remember, the Young Lords, and SDS, meeting at the office and attending our political orientation meetings. Yes, O’Neal, was an FBI informant and he was also the body guard for Fred, and the chief of security. O’Neal was with him EVERYDAY and knew his whereabouts at all times. As the years passed, O’Neal, jumped out a moving car on the expressway and killed himself.
Fred, was an intelligent, FEARLESS, freedom fighter. He was also, a ROUSING speaker. that could not be bought off. He was a lover of all revoultionary freedom fighters and a lover of freedom. I noticed that you included many of his accomplishments, but you omitted, The Breakfast for Children Program, and the health center that he established, on 16th St. Our Breakfast for Children Program, was very successful, also.