Fred Hampton

Fred Hampton was twenty-one years old when he was assassinated by Chicago police in a predawn raid on December 4, 1969 — but in his brief life, he had already become one of the most effective organizers the Black Panther Party ever produced. As chairman of the Illinois chapter, Hampton built the Rainbow Coalition, an unprecedented alliance uniting the Black Panthers, the Young Lords (Puerto Rican), and the Young Patriots (white Appalachian) around shared class interests.

Born in the Chicago suburb of Maywood in 1948, Hampton showed organizing brilliance early. As a teenager, he led a campaign to build a swimming pool in his community and expanded the local NAACP Youth Council from 200 to 500 members. At 20, he joined the Black Panthers and quickly rose to prominence through his electrifying speeches, community service programs, and ability to forge coalitions across racial lines.

Hampton's free breakfast programs fed thousands of children. His ability to unite poor communities across race terrified the FBI, which targeted him through COINTELPRO. He was drugged by an informant and shot while sleeping beside his pregnant fiancée. He was 21. His legacy lives on in every coalition that dares to organize across difference.