In the late 1960s, Fred Hampton helped lead a coalition of activists, working across racial lines, against a corrupt city government that threatened their communities. At the core of their work were social programs, including free breakfasts, health clinics, and legal aid.
Hampton came to prominence in Chicago as a deputy chairman of the national Black Panther Party and Chair of the Illinois chapter.
In 1967, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identified Hampton as a radical threat. It tried to subvert his activities in Chicago, sowing disinformation among black progressive groups and placing a counterintelligence operative in the local Panthers organisation.
Hampton was very close with Chicago Black Catholic priest, George Clements, who served as his mentor and as a chaplain for the local Panther outfit. Hamptons and the Panthers also used Clements’s parish as a refuge in times of particular surveillance or pursuit from the police.