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Week 49
December 3 - December 9
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Panther Leader Fred Hampton Killed
by: Dr. Clint Wilson
When the intellectually bright and charismatic Fred Hampton was gunned down while sleeping in his Chicago apartment in a police raid, many African Americans across the nation were shocked and angered. Hampton, only 21 at the time of his death, was seen as perhaps the most articulate leader of the Black Panther movement.
His funeral was attended by persons across the Civil Rights spectrum including the Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy, successor to Martin L. King, Jr. as head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson.
As many Civil Rights activists called for an investigation into Hampton’s ambush-style killing, the Black Press recorded the aftermath and described the funeral rites for Hampton the following week.
Top Panther Rites Held In Chicago
CHICAGO -- Fred Hampton, former chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party was buried Thursday in the First Baptist Church of Melrose Park.
Thousands of mourners attended a eulogy service Tuesday night for Hampton, as his body lay in an open casket flanked by an honor guard of Panthers wearing black leather jackets and gloves.
Among the mourners was the Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy, head of the SCLC, Dr. Benjamin Spock, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and David Hawk, a leader of the Vietnam War Moratoriums.
Hampton, 21, and Mark Clark, 22, a party member from Peoria, were fatally wounded in a raid by Cook County police at Hampton’s West Side apartment.
Leaders of a number of civil rights and other organizations have charged that Hampton was murdered, saying police did not use tear gas to flush out the Panthers, but merely shot them.
IID Director Harry Ervanian said Tuesday that his department would make no inquiry. He pointed ...
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