It’s been 55 years since the U.S. government, in coordination with the Chicago Police Department and the Cook County State’s Attorney Office, assassinated 21-year-old Illinois Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton while sleeping next to his pregnant fiancée in their West Side bed.
On Aug. 30, what would have been Hampton’s 77th birthday, the city of Chicago cemented his legacy by renaming Monroe Street in his honor.
Dozens gathered outside the apartment building where the deadly 1969 police raid took place, 2337 W. Monroe St., as Mayor Brandon Johnson unveiled the honorary street sign, Chairman Fred Hampton, Sr. Way.
Ald. Walter Burnett (27th Ward) spoke at the event, along with West Side organizer Crystal Gardner. Other speakers included Fred Hampton, Jr., Chairman of Black Panther Cubs, and his mother Akua Njeri.
Watch our video recap below.
