On this day in 1969, Fred Hampton, a transformative leader in the fight for racial and economic justice, was assassinated in a pre-dawn raid orchestrated by the FBI and Chicago police. Hampton was only 21 years old, but his impact as a revolutionary Marxist-Leninist and deputy chairman of the Black Panther Party resonates to this day.
Born in Chicago in 1948, Hampton quickly emerged as a powerful voice against systemic oppression. As chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, he championed anti-racism, economic equality, and multicultural solidarity. He spearheaded initiatives such as the “Rainbow Coalition,” uniting diverse communities in the struggle for justice.
Hampton warned of the dangers of fascism, emphasizing that it threatened not just marginalized groups but society as a whole. His growing influence made him a target of the FBI’s COINTELPRO program, which sought to neutralize Black liberation leaders through surveillance, infiltration, and violence.
On December 4, 1969, Hampton was killed while asleep in his apartment. Over 100 shots were fired in the raid, leaving Hampton and fellow Black Panther Mark Clark dead. The event, widely condemned as an assassination, remains a chilling reminder of the lengths to which the U.S. government went to suppress revolutionary movements.
Today, Fred Hampton is remembered not only as a victim of state violence but as a symbol of resilience and unity. His legacy inspires ongoing struggles against injustice and for the liberation of all oppressed peoples.
