The Lies History Tells Part 2: Black Panthers & A Murdered Revolutionary
“I’m going to die for the people because I’m going to live for the people.” They said, “Right on.” He said, “I’m going to live for the people because I love the people.” And they’d say, “Right on.” And he’d say, “I love the people, why?” And they’d say, “Because we’re high on the people, because we’re high on the people.” And that was Fred Hampton. When you saw this 21 year old, it was unbelievable. You had no choice, but to be moved by Fred Hampton.” (Eyes on the prize documentary)
This week marks the 40th anniversary of Fred Hampton’s assassination. Hampton was the rising leader of the Black Panther Party in Chicago. On December 4th 1969, in the middle of the night, Chicago Police officers raided Hamton’s house. His pregnant fiancée gives these words:
“The police pulled me from the room as Fred lay unconscious on the bed. I heard one officer say, He’s still alive. Then I heard two shots and another officer said, He’s good and dead now.”
The picture I was given of Fred Hampton and the Black Panthers in grade school was an unfair and incomplete image of what actually happened. I was lied to. I’m not sure who to blame. It could be the Civil Rights sections of the History books that only wanted to praise Martin Luther King Jr., Demonize Malcolm X, and pretend all other possible negative details were non-existent. Or it could be a few of my teachers who chose to believe and regurgitate a type of history that is at least, insufficient and at most, well crafted fallacies written by people in power who benefited from the oppression and marginalization of others. It was not until I began to read for myself and go into more depth in my college classes that I realized the misguided stories I was being fed in my juvenile years.
I suppose the culprit does not matter at this point. What is most important is understanding that what I was taught was wrong, discovering what the truth is, and putting pressure on education systems to make sure that the truth is being taught in the future—I haven’t quite figured out step three as of yet. In one of my history classes at University of Chicago, we had Flint Taylor come as a guest speaker—which is one of the lawyers who defended the Black Panther members who were in the house during the police raid. 
Taylor told us about his first hand experience of looking through FBI documents and revealing how they planted informants inside of the Black Panther Party. He also explained Edgar Hoover’s connection with the Chicago Police Department, and how they were in cahoots with planning the police raid, and ultimately the assassination of Fred Hampton.
“You can kill a revolutionary, but you can’t kill a revolution.” These are Hampton’s famous words, and they came into full intuition after his death at 21. The Black Panther’s were not a perfect organization, but they had many positive influences within the black community. They have often been potrayed solely as violent, angry, hostile and militant. But on the contrary, they were a grassroots community based social and political justice organization that held sickle cell anemia awareness forums, opened stores on the west side of Chicago, and started the Free-Breakfast Program for children in the community.
I wrote it once and I feel the need to write it again. Why is history so imprecise? And what else should I not trust about what I learned in my grade school history classes?
Interestingly enough, my school taught me very little about the Black Panther Party and much less about Fred Hampton. This post prompted me to go look up a lot more information about the Black Panther movement and Fred Hamptom himself. I always find it amazing to think of a great movement encompassing an entire country and breaching into the hearts of black youth everywhere. And to learn about attempts to stifle these great movements is always disheartening.
Interestingly enough, my school taught me very little about the Black Panther Party and much less about Fred Hampton. This post prompted me to go look up a lot more information about the Black Panther movement and Fred Hamptom himself. I always find it amazing to think of a great movement encompassing an entire country and breaching into the hearts of black youth everywhere. And to learn about attempts to stifle these great movements is always disheartening.
Interesting. The Black Panther Party was never mention in my school & I worry what else might have been left out of the curriculum. This post prompts me to look further into the history of America for myself, rather than depend solely on what others choose to tell.
Interesting. The Black Panther Party was never mention in my school & I worry what else might have been left out of the curriculum. This post prompts me to look further into the history of America for myself, rather than depend solely on what others choose to tell.
I’m a teacher in Compton and what I’ve seen day to day in our classrooms is unreal. Our children can do just about anything but read, write, or perform basic math problems. While some blame should be on them, i believe that the school system must bear some responsibility for the failure of children. What are we teaching them? Basic theory and applications mean nothing to them if they dont feel included, affirmed, or validated by the material presented in the curriculum. Many educators, administrators, and researchers have fought for a culturally relevant curriculum in our schools. Not to supplant tradition education, but as a supplement to motivate our children. Not only do our children receive an incomplete narrative of our history, they also receive a distorted one, especially when it comes to black leaders, inventors, academics, performers, etc etc etc. What are they afraid of? What’s wrong with the truth?
Great post.
I’m a teacher in Compton and what I’ve seen day to day in our classrooms is unreal. Our children can do just about anything but read, write, or perform basic math problems. While some blame should be on them, i believe that the school system must bear some responsibility for the failure of children. What are we teaching them? Basic theory and applications mean nothing to them if they dont feel included, affirmed, or validated by the material presented in the curriculum. Many educators, administrators, and researchers have fought for a culturally relevant curriculum in our schools. Not to supplant tradition education, but as a supplement to motivate our children. Not only do our children receive an incomplete narrative of our history, they also receive a distorted one, especially when it comes to black leaders, inventors, academics, performers, etc etc etc. What are they afraid of? What’s wrong with the truth?
Great post.
This post resonates with me personally because I had not learned anything about the BPP in all of my years of schooling. It was through my aunt that I first learned of the organization. She had had a similar educational upbringing, which praised Martin while likening him to Ghandi and altogether skipped over Malcolm, Huey, and Cleaver. However, in her college years she did learn and she passed her knowledge on to me at a young age. It left such a large impression on me that I wrote my senior thesis on it in high school with the encouragement of my favorite teacher to date (my history teacher at the time). What stands out for me about the BPP is the influence that the co-founders we able to have over their community. They did not penetrate the black consciousness through militance and anti-white teachings, but through genuine service to their communities and a well thought out central plan for the forward progression of the disenfranchised. Needless to say, it wasn’t impeccable but it was a valiant effort largely stunted by government barricading. On the eve of this monumental anniversary let us remind ourselves of the core values they fought for as opposed to their demise so that we may continue on their journey and add on to their legacy. GREAT POST JON!
This post resonates with me personally because I had not learned anything about the BPP in all of my years of schooling. It was through my aunt that I first learned of the organization. She had had a similar educational upbringing, which praised Martin while likening him to Ghandi and altogether skipped over Malcolm, Huey, and Cleaver. However, in her college years she did learn and she passed her knowledge on to me at a young age. It left such a large impression on me that I wrote my senior thesis on it in high school with the encouragement of my favorite teacher to date (my history teacher at the time). What stands out for me about the BPP is the influence that the co-founders we able to have over their community. They did not penetrate the black consciousness through militance and anti-white teachings, but through genuine service to their communities and a well thought out central plan for the forward progression of the disenfranchised. Needless to say, it wasn’t impeccable but it was a valiant effort largely stunted by government barricading. On the eve of this monumental anniversary let us remind ourselves of the core values they fought for as opposed to their demise so that we may continue on their journey and add on to their legacy. GREAT POST JON!
Thanks Johnae and Tolu for your comments. What is in the dark will always come to the light. All these hidden truths will be revealed, especially in this age of technology.
Thanks Johnae and Tolu for your comments. What is in the dark will always come to the light. All these hidden truths will be revealed, especially in this age of technology.
Hi Jonathan,
I am deeply concerned about the retelling of a history. I think it is often problematic that our high schools don’t go in depth regarding the history our country. I think especially the tellers of history or the people drafting the text books are often afforded the luxury of telling an innocuous version of a ‘history.’
I think when you examine the history of the some of the heroes of your post. You will find that they are complex individuals and that they too subjugated marginalized groups like women and homosexuals.
Hi Jonathan,
I am deeply concerned about the retelling of a history. I think it is often problematic that our high schools don’t go in depth regarding the history our country. I think especially the tellers of history or the people drafting the text books are often afforded the luxury of telling an innocuous version of a ‘history.’
I think when you examine the history of the some of the heroes of your post. You will find that they are complex individuals and that they too subjugated marginalized groups like women and homosexuals.
Supernerd your right,
many groups in this time period get a free pass on the negatives about them. But I think the point about the black panthers(and my problem with how they are taught) is that it is all negative, or not taught at all. Painting a picture that wasn’t a reality.
Supernerd your right,
many groups in this time period get a free pass on the negatives about them. But I think the point about the black panthers(and my problem with how they are taught) is that it is all negative, or not taught at all. Painting a picture that wasn’t a reality.
Black is beautiful. Power to the people.
Black is beautiful. Power to the people.
Could you kindly translate your website into Italian because I’m not very comfortable reading it in English? I’m getting tired of using Google Translate all the time, there is a little WordPress plugin called like global translator which will translate all your posts by default- that will make reading articleson your sweet blog even more pleasant. Cheers dude, Education Journals!
Could you kindly translate your website into Italian because I’m not very comfortable reading it in English? I’m getting tired of using Google Translate all the time, there is a little WordPress plugin called like global translator which will translate all your posts by default- that will make reading articleson your sweet blog even more pleasant. Cheers dude, Education Journals!