Fred Hampton Jr.

Fred Hampton Jr.
Hampton Jr. speaking at a 2018 anti-war rally in Oakland
Born (1969-12-29) December 29, 1969
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation Activist
Years active 1988–present
Known for Prisoners of Conscience Committee/Black Panther Party Cubs
(Chairman)
Parent(s) Fred Hampton and Deborah Johnson

Fred Hampton Jr. (born December 29, 1969) is an African-American political activist and the son of Fred Hampton Sr. His father was a Black Panther who was killed by the Chicago police. Hampton's 19-year-old mother, Deborah Johnson, was nine months pregnant with him when Hampton Sr. was killed in her presence during the police raid of the early morning hours of December 4, 1969. Hampton Sr. was 21 at the time of his death.

Biography

Fred Hampton Jr. is the son of Black Panther leader Fred Hampton and his girlfriend, Deborah Johnson.

He was given the name Alfred Johnson at birth. His mother had it legally changed to "Fred Hampton Jr." when he was ten years old.[1]

Hampton Jr. became the president of the International People's Democratic Uhuru Movement in 1990.

1993 conviction

In 1993, he was convicted of aggravated arson. The case involved the firebombing of a Korean grocery store in the aftermath of the 1992 nationwide protests after the acquittal of the Los Angeles Police Department officers who beat Rodney King. Hampton was sentenced to eighteen years in prison, and was paroled on September 14, 2001.

Prisoners of Conscience Committee

Hampton is the chairman of the Prisoners of Conscience Committee (P.O.C.C.) and Black Panther Party Cubz. On July 3, 2013, Hampton and three others filed a false arrest and excessive force lawsuit against Oakland and Emeryville, claiming that they were held for almost three hours on January 21, 2013 in retaliation for their well-known activism.[2]

Pop culture

Hampton made an appearance in Michel Gondry's 2006 film Dave Chappelle's Block Party. His trial forms the basis of Fall Out Boy's song "You're Crashing, But You're No Wave". He and his father Fred Hampton Sr. are mentioned in the song "Behind Enemy Lines" by Dead Prez.

References


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