NEAR WEST SIDE — A group of Black Panther Party supporters will commemorate the life of late party leader Fred Hampton Wednesday — and re-enact his killing.
A noon press conference at the corner of 2337 W. Monroe St., where Hampton died, will be held followed by the reenactment, which supporters refer to as the "Massacre on Monroe."
Hampton and Mark Clark, a Black Panther captain, were killed 44 years ago by the authorities during a raid at the home. Police said they were defending themselves.
Hampton founded the Chicago chapter of the Black Panther Party in November 1968. He was born Aug. 30, 1948, in Chicago and grew up in west suburban Maywood and graduated from Proviso East High School in 1966.
In October of 1966, Bobby Seale and Huey Newton formed the Black Panther Party in Oakland, Calif. Initially Seale and Newton said they started the group to protect local communities from police brutality and racism, but it later became a revolutionary group, which sponsored free medical clinics and breakfast programs for needy children.
Black Panther supporters are also celebrating International Revolutionary Day with a free screening of Black Power! In Tribute to Fred Hampton from 8-10 p.m. Wednesday at the Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St.
