The Assassination of Fred Hampton: How the FBI and the Chicago Police Murdered a Black Panther

I'll be the first to admit that one's like or dislike of this book may have a lot to do with his/her political views. As for me, I loved the book. This was a story that needed to be told and tell it did Jeffrey Haas.When the discussion of assassinations comes up the main names mentioned are JFK, MLK, and Malcolm X. Sadly, there were many more, better disguised assassinations that happened during the 60's that lots of people have never heard of. Fred Hampton was one of them. Although Fred Hampton's murder caused outrage amongst some in Chicago, it didn't register as largely on the national scale.Not only did this story need to be told, it needed to be told by someone connected to it who could provide information not readily available. The author, Jeffrey Haas, was the main attorney going after the State Attorney, Hanrahan and the Chicago PD after the fateful morning of December 4, 1969. When he failed to get an indictment he then proceeded to present a civil rights suit against the city of Chicago, Cook County and the FBI. He doggedly pursued to reveal the slaying and the subsequent cover up for 13 years. While reading this book I only paused to catch my breath or to calm down from the fury and anger I had towards the FBI, the Chicago PD, the State Attorney, Judge Perry and the lap dog attorneys representing the perpetrators. This book will elicit strong emotions if you have any kind of passion for justice.Jeffery Haas tells this story in the simplest and truest form. This book wouldn't be confused with an Edgar Allen Poe piece known for literary genius but it was compelling none the less. There is little biographical information about Fred Hampton as he was killed at the young age of 21. I would say that there is more biographical information about Jeffrey Haas than Fred Hampton yet it doesn't detract from the story at all.I couldn't help but notice parallels between this story and that of Geronimo Pratt. Both were Black Panther Party leaders, both wronged, FBI involvement, local law enforcement involvement, massive cover up, pit bull like Jewish lawyers dedicating years to right the wrong. If anyone has read "Last Man Standing" then the similarities are eery. In fact, Geronimo Pratt's and Fred Hampton's families are from Louisiana as well.I'm so glad this book was written and I'm equally pleased that I got a chance to read it. Whether you liked the Black Panther Party or not, whether you agreed with their rhetoric or not, murder is murder and then to lie and cover it up is almost just as abhorrent. This book was an excellent account, it would have been so nice to see what Fred Hampton could have become.

Although by its very nature not life-transforming or paradigm-shifting [except for those who would never consider reading it] this book recounts one of the most spectacular acts of domestic terrorism perpetrated by our governing authorities. FBI director J Edgar Hoover regarded Hampton as a potential "black messiah" and wanted him dead. Hampton was an awesome leader, organizer, and intellectual of the American left, who might well have changed the course of history and replaced the [also murdered] Martin Luther King and Malcolm X as an international leader. Hoover conspired with numerous local "law enforcement" agencies to murder him in a very public fashion whose significance would be lost on no one. They could have killed him in a quiet and deniable fashion, as they did so many others; their agent who drugged him into near oblivion could have inconspicuously poisoned him. They made so many outlandish errors that their role and motives would become obvious, and inform every potential dissident of the likely fate of radicals. They reveled in their nature as ongoing terrorist organizations, such as the later Taliban and ISIS; they wanted all of us to know.

(I am still reading this - but can update on more later).Besides reading this book,Read “Killing The Mob” by Bill O’ReillyWatch “Judas and the Black Messiah”J. Edgar Hoover was shady. I have read several FBI profiling books and his name has come up on how others did not like working for him or when he “ran” the FBI. He wanted credit for everything. He would use the same methods to “get” the criminals, as they would (ie: straight out murder, not arresting. Hence why these criminals would kill officers in the first place.) He was rumored to be gay, yet would prosecute homosexuals for the same reason.{The others I mentioned above give the same info on him. This is not my opinion. It has been backed by facts.}The reason I am mentioning this - because he wanted Fred Hampton dead. He would stop at nothing. I am sure The Black Panthers have done some wrong, but yet the right(s) they did - were defaced by law enforcement (because Hoover allowed it).I have read about The Black Panthers about 20 years ago when I had to process an in-depth paper for school.I am glad I am finding more on the subject because I like to educate myself on the past.

Outstanding book! Despite all of the controversy surrounding the Black Panther party and its direction, Fred Hampton was a leader and People followed his direction. The government were scared of another person in the movement becoming this type of leader as Fred was becoming.The author of book examines his murder and all of the behind the scene controversy on" What took place " in the police raid in Chicago. There were definetly two sides to what took place, but many people surrounding the police raid were caught in mis representing the " Facts" of the shoot out. In the end many were caugt in lies in what actually took place as the courts forced them to tell the truth.This case took many years to come to a conclusion and settlement. It still leaves many readers and people that lived in the era to take sides.The author ( Lawyer) makes the case it was a government cover up. This case went to a higher court to get some resolve. The lower courts put too many roadblocks and were one sided. The lawyers never gave up on how Fred was murdered. They wanted resolve and to have those held accountable for this murder. They stuck with it all the way up through the court system.If you want to learn more about this leader who was lost at such a young age, this book will educate you on the movement along with the message to the people . During this era the term " Power to the people" came out the moths in all back grounds and color of people .Great book on The civil rights movement . Which are all of our rights.

When it comes to african-american history, the Black Panther Movement is a common topic always.Why? Because the injustice in the court systems and indeed the police brutality experienced by african- americans today, are the very things that the Black Panthers wanted to tackle within their 10 -point programme, derived from the 10 things that the black community wanted to see take place within their boroughs or district.Reading this book, you see that the members of the black panther movement where influential political figures for the voiceless, by exercising their constitutional and civil rights to plea to the authorities for better social housing, justice in the court system for black inmates to be represented by black jurors, and control over the police department to take place in order to neutralize police brutality over the black communities, and so forth, to name a few.This book will take you into a journey, in terms of the obstacles that Jeff Haas, and his lawyer partners had to endure, during their civil case drawn against the authorities responsible for the assassination of Fred Hampton and Mark Clark.This book is one of the best biographies I have ever known.Much credit due to Jeff Haas, for all the work he'd done in getting the narrative in print.

Just finished this...Fred Hampton talented chairman of the BPP - Shot in the head twice while he slept.Fred Hampton himself leaves early in the book & we get a lot of the court cases that follow.Mr Haas gives a great book about the course it runs.Malcom X, Martin Luther King jr & Fred Hampton 3 of the greats all murdered ...all worth reading about ... all worth remembrance.