Black History Month Celebration: “The Murder of Fred Hampton” and “Judas and the Black Messiah”
If you ever think about me, and you ain't gonna do no revolutionary act, forget about me. I don't want myself on your mind if you're not going to work for the people. - Fred Hampton
Black people need some peace. White people need some peace. And we are going to have to fight. We're going to have to struggle. We're going to have to struggle relentlessly to bring about some peace, because the people that we're asking for peace, they are a bunch of megalomaniac warmongers, and they don't even understand what peace means. -Fred Hampton
“Fred Hampton Speaks outside US Courthouse, 1969”
Image of Fred Hampton from r/imagesofthe1960s on Reddit
Content Warning for this post: I am recounting the murder of Fred Hampton and Mark Clark at the hands of police and US government, and related injustices. I chose not to go too far into detail as the information is readily available at the end of the article for those who seek to view it. I understand that these topics may be unsettling for many, but especially to those of you in the BIPOC communities. I wanted to be mindful of balancing information with personal perspective, but without causing further trauma or harm via imagery and graphic explanations of violence. Please, be kind and gentle to yourselves and do not feel obligated to continue if you think reading about this violence will trigger you. You deserve peace, safety, and comfort.
A Double Review of The Murder of Fred Hampton and Judas and the Black Messiah
When one hears the phrase “True Crime,” we most often picture photographs of serial killers such as Ted Bundy, Jefferey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, and even the mysterious and dastardly Jack the Ripper, and it’s not surprising; these some of the most frightening names and faces of criminals in history with disturbingly high body counts to boot. But when one mentions “True Crime,” most certainly our last instinct would be to mention the federal or state government on lists of notorious murderers and manipulators. Yet that is precisely the situation in the case of the murders of Fred Hampton and Mark Clark, and injured others at the hands of 14 police officers on December 4th, 1969, in Chicago, Illinois.
Fred Hampton, prominent chair of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party and founder of the antiracist, anti-class organization known as the Rainbow Coalition, was murdered during a pre-dawn raid on his home in which he was drugged, shot, and killed in his bed while he slept. Fred Hampton was 21 years old when he was assassinated with shotgun fire by Cook County and the Chicago Police Department with the aid of the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Police knocked on the door asking the occupants to open up, were told to wait “one moment”, and busted the door down, firing 90 shots to the occupants' lone, singular gunshot. Several others including Panther activist Mark Clark were also killed, injured, and detained; Cook County’s coroner launched an investigation and inquest, and a jury ruled that both Hampton’s and Clark’s deaths were “justifiable homicides.”
The People’s Law Office filed a massive civil rights lawsuit on behalf of the survivors as well as the families of Mark Cark and Fred Hampton; their team spent a total of 10 days in Fred Hampton’s apartment collecting evidence and documenting signs that the raid was in fact a “search and destroy” mission, contrary to the angle pitched by law enforcement that it was a “shoot-out” between the officers and the Panthers. It was discovered that the raid was part of an FBI intel program called COINTELPRO, the panthers had been infiltrated by a paid informant, and that conscious efforts were made to “neutralize” the Black Panther Party. It took 13 years of persistent, passionate, and intense litigation for the PLO to receive a landmark civil rights settlement in the amount of $1.8 million dollars.
Fred Hampton was survived by his beloved girlfriend Deborah Johnson, now Akua Njeri, and their as yet unborn child, Fred Hampton, Jr.; both of whom continue to honor the late Fred Hampton’s legacy with continued activism and community outreach. (And I highly encourage you to look into their work and efforts.)
If the events of the last several years in the United States and around the globe have not radicalized you, I certainly hope the above just has. It should shine a glaring spotlight on the importance of radical movements such as Occupy Wall Street, Black Lives Matter, various Autonomous Zones, mass employee walkouts, workers strikes, and related. And you’ll begin to understand that public outcry for equity; equality; fair pay; reasonable accommodations in the workplace; affordable and free education; healthcare, food, and housing for all, are not remotely radical at all.
Regardless of whether you are long-radicalized, recently inspired to revolutionize, or having a revelation in this exact moment, I strongly suggest you consume both the documentary The Murder of Fred Hampton along with the biopic Judas and the Black Messiah on HBO/HBO Max. When watched in tandem, these two films make some of the most compelling accounts of actual history that have long been washed, diluted, and hung out to fade in from our history books. And it is even more upsetting to see that almost nothing has changed in American law enforcement; just ask Daunte Wright, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Andre Hill, Manuel Ellis, Atiana Jefferson, and the thousands of others murdered by officers of the law between the years of 2014 through today, and all the rest of those that came before them, too.
The Murder of Fred Hampton, 1971, Documentary
Directed by Howard Alk and Mike Gray
This is an American documentary film consisting of a compilation of personal video footage, newsreels, courtroom video, and media from the Black Panther Party. It is presented mostly without comment or narration, just allowing the footage and evidence to speak for itself. It is jarring, alarming, and abundantly clear that Fred Hampton and Mark Clark were taken from this world all too soon. Available on HBO/HBO Max or Stream Free via Vimeo from the Chicago Film Archives.
Judas and the Black Messiah, 2021, Biographical Crime Drama
Directed by Shaka King
This is a biopic adaptation of true crime events in 1969 surrounding the infiltration of the Black Panther party through the dubious COINTELPRO initiative. It details the work and efforts of the Black Panther Party and the Rainbow Coalition to create real change and a shift in social policies, and correct the racial inequities of US economics, education, and social systems. The story follows William O’Neal (played deftly by one of my faves, LaKeith Stanfield) as he operates as an infiltrator and informant for the FBI, heavily coerced by agent Roy Mitchell (played by a devilish Jesse Plemons) who manufactured a plea deal in exchange for anything they can wield against Fred Hampton (played by the magnificent Daniel Kaluuya.) Watching this coupled with the documentary, you’ll begin to form a very clear picture of what transpired, and it will shake you to your core. My biggest criticism here, and really my only one, is that the cast is all slightly older than their real-life counterparts, which removes a little bit of the harsh reality that their lives were terminated before they’d even begun to really live. And it also sheds a lot of light on all of the magnanimous efforts and improvements the Black Panther Party and its young chairmen had already accomplished. Imagine what glorious things they could have done had they lived…
In short, it is an incredibly well produced, expertly acted slight dramatization of the events leading up to and including the horrendous murders.
Image of Director Shaka King via GQ’s Twitter account.
I have personally 5 starred both entries in my post today, and I encourage you to watch them both with an open mind and no distractions. Let the emotions wash over you and sink into your core as you absorb all of the facts and evidence and realize all of the lies we have been fed over and over by the proverbial system. May you sit rapt as you begin to digest the truth with fear, awe, disgust, and rage, and walk away from these film experiences with newfound fire to create real change, educate your humans, and work together with others to keep fighting for justice, equality, and a better tomorrow. May you finally begin to understand the redundancy of our recent political turmoil, why so many Black and Brown individuals and grassroots organizers are so enraged that we are here fighting again, fighting still, and may you be further emboldened to join the movements and create real change.
Fred Hampton Jr., son of Fred Hampton and Deborah Johnson, activists of the Black Panther Party, as he walks through George Floyd’s community; image via CNN Entertainment article (listed below for further reading)
Further Reading on the Crimes committed against Fred Hampton and Mark Clark, and the political legacy of the Black Panther Movement:
Review by Ellen Avigliano
Twitter: @imaginariumcs
Instagram: @imaginariumarts
Website: www.imaginariumarts.com
