"You can kill the revolutionary, but you can't kill the revolution"
While sitting on the bus this morning a young lady walked past me with a t-shirt that bore the image of Fred Hampton. I was immediately reminded of the passion that he led with and the message he wanted to get across. Now if I was to ask 10 random people who Fred Hampton was, chances are I wouldn't receive an accurate response. So who is Fred Hampton and why must we still remember the legacy he left behind and the lives he tried to change? Fred Hampton was born in Chicago, Illinois and studied pre-law to become more familiar with the judicial system, and also use it as a defense against the police. Hampton began organizing young African Americans for the NAACP while the Black Panther Party started rising to national prominence.
Fred Hampton was quickly attracted to the BPP because of their ten point program which was a mixture of black self-determination and certain elements of Maoism. In November 1968 he joined the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party (which was founded by a SNCC member - Bob Brown). During the time that Fred Hampton was apart of the BPP they made tremendous strides and amazing contributions in Chicago. One of Hamptons most significant achievments was the nonagression pact between Chicagos most powerful street gangs. He also organized weekly rallies, political education classes, and was significantly instrumental in the BPP Free Breakfast Program.
His charismatic ways enabled him to be a people person and caused him to be marked and targeted by the FBI. Long story short Fred Hampton was murdered by Chicago police for wanting to enrich the minds of African American children and spread love throughout the community. He was ready to do the un-thinkable...are you?
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