Fred Hampton:You Can't Murder A Revolution

“You don’t fight racism with racism. You fight racism with solidarity.” -Fred Hampton
When I was in 8th grade I made this documentary for the Chicago History Fair. I set out to do my project on the Black Panther Party, but when I began reading and researching, it led me to the incredible but too-short life of Fred Hampton. My 13 year old self was completely blown away by this man who had the ability to unite ALL people. Why had I never heard of him? I had never learned about him in school. I have spent my entire life in public schools, and I had not learned about FRED HAMPTON… In CHICAGO! To my knowledge, Fred Hampton is still not taught as part of Chicago Public School curriculum and I believe this is wrong. His message of unity seems more important today than ever. These days, I keep coming back to this project and I keep wondering how different the world might look today had Fred Hampton not been murdered by the police. It’s something to think about. As there is so much discussion lately about what we learn and don’t learn in our schools, it is my hope that in the future, children all across this country are taught about the incredible life and legacy of Fred Hampton.