The Assassination of Fred Hampton

The assassination of Fred Hampton at the hands of law enforcement on December 4, 1969, and the subsequent attempts to hide the truth behind it eroded the already tenuous bonds of trust between the police and the Chicago’s African American community. On the fiftieth anniversary of the event, the Chicago History Museum remembers Hampton’s life, tragic death, and legacy with an eye toward the future. In keeping with the Museum’s goal of sharing Chicago's stories and educating the community, we invited students from Lake Forest College to study the life of Fred Hampton and the events surrounding his death for this digital project.

Moreover, as a keeper of the city’s history since 1856, the Museum has the resources and historical perspective to shed light on civilian-police issues. We have partnered with the Chicago Police Department to educate all police academy cadets on the history of policing in Chicago and the United States. This monthly one-day workshop, entitled The African American Lens of Policing History, has three main objectives for recruits:

• To have a better understanding of the past events and conditions that have led to the disproportionately difficult relationship among members of law enforcement and African Americans in Chicago
• To learn the value of self-reflection and historical consideration in their interactions with the African American community to produce more positive outcomes
• To be more familiar with the cultural and systemic forces creating unique challenges and opportunities in predominately African American neighborhoods of Chicago

Painful events such as the murder of Fred Hampton and others have hindered a healthy relationship between law enforcement and marginalized communities, but many police officers and private citizens are laboring to build trust. Their success in doing so will be determined by their capacity to heed the lessons from the circumstances of Hampton’s murder.