Shortly after 4:00am on December 4, 1969, the Chicago Police Department, carrying out a raid connected with the COINTELPRO project, stormed the apartment at 2337 West Monroe Street where Hampton, Njeri and several other Panther members slept. A legacy that rarely gets the credit it deserves. The violent raid took the lives of Hampton and Mark Clark. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. At Wilbur Wright College she was a member of the Black Student Union, and it was during this time that she was introduced to the Black Panther Party and Fred Hampton. After years directing shorts and episodes of… Taken on December 4, 1969 the day of the assassination of her husband, Chairman Fred Hampton. Hilda Akua Birthday . How Daniel Kaluuya Makes His Characters Come Alive. On top of that, a number of people who were involved in the real-life events are still alive including Deborah Johnson, now known as Akua Njeri. When Alucard rose up refusing to die, Akua was seemly surprised that he is still alive. It was later revealed that the raid was illegally carried out by the FBI’s COINTELPRO operation (COunter INTelligence PROgram) which targeted and discredited leftist political groups, with a particular emphasis on Black leftist groups. Deborah Johnson, now known as Akua Njeri, is an American activist and writer. Akua Njeri, Algee Smith, Daniel Kaluuya, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Dominique Fishback, Dominique Thorne, Fred Hampton, Jake Winters, Judas and … Continue Reading Below. In the coming months, the survivors of the attack refused to participate in the grand jury inquest into police conduct of that night as they felt justice would not be served. U.S. State: Illinois, African-American From Illinois. The assassination of Fred Hampton in 1969, dubbed the Massacre of Monroe, is one of the most jarring moments in Black Panther history. '"[4], Njeri is the chairperson of the December 4th Committee, which "fights to defend and maintain the legacy of the Black Panther Party and what really happened on that fateful morning [of Hampton and Clark's assassination]." Njeri witnessed and survived the December 4, 1969 police raid and assassination of her fiancée, Fred Hampton and Mark Clark at the Chicago apartment she and Hampton shared. New film Judas and the Black Messiah, now in theaters and on HBO streaming platforms, dramatizes a specific moment in the history of the Black Panther Party, the political organization founded in 1966 by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale: the betrayal of Illinois chapter head Fred Hampton (played by Daniel Kaluuya) at the hands of […] Njeri’s resolve remained unwavering in her commitment to the revolutionary cause, despite the difficulties of raising her son, Fred Hampton Jr., as a single parent. Directly following that night, Njeri and other Black Panthers were held on a $100,000 bail. Njeri served as the president of the National People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement, an organization dedicated to self-determination for Black Americans and as the chairperson of the December 4th Committee, which fights to defend and maintain the legacy of the Black Panther Party. Transforming the Radio Industry Success comes to those who strive to step out of their comfort zones, and that’s exactly what Dr. Philip Kovacs, CEO at TangoTango, proved through his astounding journey in the radio industry. [2] Hampton and Clark's families and the survivors filed a civil case against the Chicago Police Department and the FBI. Partner: Akua Njeri; (formerly known as Deborah Johnson) Died on: December 4, 1969. place of death: Chicago, Illinois, United States. He consulted with Hampton’s family – including his son Fred Hampton Jr. and Junior’s mother, Akua Njeri (formerly Deborah Johnson) – and went on a field trip to Maywood, the Chicago suburb where Hampton grew up. Civil rights activism in the United States; witnessing the assassination of her fiancée, This page was last edited on 12 March 2021, at 08:06. Akua Njeri, Fred Hampton's fiancée, on her fight for accuracy in 'Judas and the Black Messiah' The film Judas and the Black Messiah dramatizes a specific moment of the Black Panther Party, the political organization founded in 1966 by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale: the betrayal of Illinois chapter head Fred Hampton (played by Daniel Kaluuya), at the hands of thief-turned-FBI-informant … I said, “But you have the thankless job of playing William O’Neal. She left Chicago and moved to Louisiana. She was the fiancée of Fred Hampton and the mother of Fred Hampton Jr. 4. Njeri is well-known as being Fred Hampton’s girlfriend, but she is so much more than that and Khan does some justice in revealing the roles she played. Khan’s movie focuses, both on Chairman Fred and the FBI informant who infiltrated the Black Panthers and who is ultimately responsible for Fred Hampton’s death. They had been wounded but survived the gunfire. Date: Thursday, March 11th at 6pm PST Location: Clubhouse: drop-in: audio chat Here are the top stories of the week. She goes as far as to threaten the lives of Tsukune and his friends, if Moka didn’t get on Fairy Tale’s ship. Deborah Johnson, now known as Akua Njeri, is an … She failed to adequately recognize O'Neal's body and did not follow through. Fred Hampton Jr. is also still alive. She is the mother of Fred Hampton Jr. Njeri became an activist at age 12, and throughout her teen years she participated in civil rights marches and protests against housing conditions in Chicago. Njeri describes avoiding looking at Hampton's body so as to remain stoic. ... His mother Iberia Hampton is still alive. [10][11], National People's Democratic Uhuru Movement, "My Dance with Justice", Yale Journal of Law and Liberation, 1991, Judas and the Black Messiah on warnerbrothers.com, "Black Panther Fred Hampton's then-girlfriend remembers the night he was assassinated", "What Happened To Deborah Johnson After The Killing of Black Panther Party Leader Fred Hampton? Birthday: 1989 How Old - Age: 32. Njeri and Hampton's son, Fred Hampton, Jr., was born on December 29, 1969. In 1983, a $1.8 million settlement from the city of Chicago, Cook County, and the federal government was awarded to the seven survivors and to the families of the two victims. 1969. Njeri tells Yahoo Life that both she and Hampton Jr. inserted themselves into the making of the film — one that “could not be made” without their participation, she says. ( Log Out /  https://sports.yahoo.com/akua-njeri-fred-hamptons-fianc-164209926.html I care about the legacy of the Black Panther Party, and to embody somebody like Mama Akua [Njeri], formerly known as Deborah Johnson, who … Akua Njeri A Member of the Black Panthers and Fred Hampton's fiance, Akua Njeri was with him at 4:30 a.m., when Chicago police raided his apartment, ostensibly to serve a search warrant. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. [2][3], As a 17-year-old student at Wilbur Wright College, Njeri was a member of the Black Student Union when they hosted a campus event featuring speaker Fred Hampton, chairman of the Chicago chapter of the Black Panther Party. National People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement, Celebrate Women’s History Month with These 10 Movies & Dramas. Her activism only grew by the time she attended college. After the police had already killed one Black Panther, Mark Clark, and shot numerous others, they made their way to Fred’s bedroom. More Facts. Njeri, who would give birth to Fred Hampton Jr. weeks later, was charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault along with other Panthers, and held on $100,000 bond. Akua Njeri A Member of the Black Panthers and Fred Hampton's fiance, Akua Njeri was with him at 4:30 a.m., when Chicago police raided his apartment, ostensibly to serve a search warrant. He was tragically murdered in his home in 1969 and had been targeted by the FBI for his social work in Chicago. Power To The People! ( Log Out /  According to the Jeffrey Haas’ book, The Assassination of Fred Hampton: How the FBI and the Chicago Police Murdered a Black Panther, Hampton’s fiancée, who is now named Akua Njeri, recalled Hampton had been working late into the night and drifted off to sleep while talking on the phone in bed. The actor and spoken word artist makes an impact playing writer and activist Akua Njeri in Judas And The Black. I care about the legacy of the Black Panther Party, and to embody somebody like Mama Akua [Njeri], formerly known as Deborah Johnson, who … She was handcuffed and led from the apartment with a gun pressed to her pregnant belly. Sign up here for the Monthly Newsletter and get FREE access to teaching resources. “I saw bullets coming from … the front of the apartment … sparks of light,” Njeri recalled. [9] In a 2020 interview, Fishback recalled that Njeri was adamant that Fishback not cry during the assassination scene, as she hadn't done so in 1969 and felt it was an important show of strength for the character and for Black women. ", "50 Years Ago, Fred Hampton Was Murdered By Police. The lack of police repercussions and the low compensatory damages are a testament to this. However, another character who is consistently present in the movie, and is often overlooked in discussion of the Black Panthers, is Akua Njeri. She also occasionally provides speaking appearances to discuss, not only Fred Hampton’s legacy, but also the unending struggle for revolutionary justice. Hampton was murdered while he lay asleep in bed, likely drugged by FBI informant William O’Neal. When an officer realized that Hampton hadn’t been killed, he proceeded to shoot the activist twice in the head. After police removed Hampton’s pregnant fiancée, Akua Njeri, from the bedroom, she could hear an officer asking if he was still alive. [2], Njeri and the other survivors declined to participate in a federal grand jury investigation into the massacre because, as Njeri explained, "they felt justice would not be served. Is Hilda Akua Dead or Still Alive? And Mama Akua is alive still, so I wanted to make sure that I honored her. BLACK activist Fred Hampton was the chairman of the Black Panther Party in the 1960’s. His violent execution by the police has been powerfully depicted in Shaka Khan’s Judas and the Black Messiah. [7], On December 4, 2019, the 50th anniversary of the assassination, Njeri and other activists and supporters gathered at 2337 West Monroe Street, the site of the massacre. In October, Hampton and his girlfriend, Deborah Johnson (also known as Akua Njeri), shifted to a rented apartment at 2337 West Monroe Street, thus moving closer to the ‘BPP’ headquarters. Yecheilyah’s Movie Reviews: Judas and the Black Messiah February 16, 2021; If You Judge a Fish by Its Ability to Climb a Tree February 11, 2021; Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews – Immersed in West Africa by Terry Lister February 1, 2021; Black History Fun Fact Friday: The Brown Paper Bag Test January 29, 2021 SEE RECENT POSTS. Fred Hampton Jr. is also still alive. “[Fred] didn’t move. Dominique Fishback talks playing Deborah Johnson in ‘Judas and the Black Messiah,’ being the sole advocate for this love story, and what she wants to do next. “When it stopped another voice unfamiliar to me said, ‘He’s good and dead now,’” she recalled, according to The Assassination of Fred Hampton: How the FBI and the Chicago Police Murdered a Black Panther . "[3], In 1990, Njeri attended the funeral of FBI informant William O'Neal, whose information led to Hampton Sr.'s assassination, intending, as she explained, to "spit in the casket and then turn it over." [1], Njeri and other survivors of the raid were arrested, charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault, and held on $100,000 bail. One valuable contribution she has since provided are some of the most detailed accounts of that fateful night and the events that followed. Some of these accolades are portrayed in the movie, however, as the movie centers on Chairman Fred, it largely defines Njeri by her relationship with Fred Hampton, which, if it is all we know of her, would be a disservice to her as an activist.However, as she is not the focus of the movie, her achievements in the 5 decades since Fred’s assassination go unnoticed. Njeri helped shape her character in the movie Judas and the Black Messiah, so it is fair to assume, bar the usual Hollywood dramatization, that the events and accounts are accurate. Hampton Jr. attested that "all through my life, my mother always taught me what my father did, the courageous stands he took. A moment later, the final shot of the night rang out as officers in the room jovially stated that Fred Hampton was ‘good and dead now’. Although brutal in terms of strength, she seems to truly care for her sisters, particularly Moka, whom she loves very much. Recently Passed Away Celebrities and Famous People. [2] Njeri recalls that her first conversation with Hampton was about poetry, and that while she was a writer of poetry herself, Hampton explained that he was only interested if the poetry was about "the struggles of the people and the people fighting back against the conditions of the Black community. When the shooting stopped, she stood up and began moving out of the bedroom. Enter your email address to follow the Newsletter and receive notifications of new posts by email. Not one officer ever spent a day in jail. Akua Njeri says that both she and Fred Hampton Jr. inserted themselves into the making of the film — one that she said "could not be made without their participation." On top of that, a number of people who were involved in the real-life events are still alive including Deborah Johnson, now known as Akua Njeri. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Njeri was on set during the filming of the massacre scene. Together, Njeri and Fred Jr. coordinate clothing and fresh vegetable drives with the Prisoners of Conscience Committee, launched by her son while he was in prison after an arson conviction following the aftermath of the Rodney King verdict in 1992. The "EU - Butter - Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights.Update: COVID-19 Impact" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. "[2], Njeri has described persistent and lingering feelings of guilt that she survived the massacre while Hampton did not. Njeri stressed the importance of recognizing the event not as simply something of the past, since "People are still being murdered in the houses, wrong houses, that are so-called 'raided by police. During this time she played essential roles in the free breakfast program, the Panthers’ free prison busing program and the Free People’s Medical Care Center, for which she canvassed door-to-door and recruited volunteer doctors. Njeri was released first due to being 9 months pregnant, and just 25 days after the assassination, Fred Hampton Jr. was born. Other Panthers, including Fred Hampton s eight month pregnant wife, Deborah Johnson (aka Akua Njeri), were beaten, dragged into the street and charged with assault and attempted murder. Just lifted … The Massacre of Monroe did irreparable damage to the Black Panther Party, but from those ashes, Njeri rose as a symbol of stoic resilience against the white capitalist power structure. SEE RECENT POSTS. "[2], Both Njeri and Fred Hampton Jr. consulted for Shaka King's 2021 film Judas and the Black Messiah, and Njeri advised Dominique Fishback, who played Deborah Johnson in the film, on her portrayal. Njeri was the first survivor released due to her pregnancy and extreme stress. Hilda Akua was born in 1989 and is 32 years old now. Njeri gave actress Dominique Fishback free rein to portray her in the film how she deemed fit, albeit with two pieces of advice: "One, that she did not cry when they assassinated Chairman Fred," Fishback told the Los Angeles Times. And Mama Akua is alive still, so I wanted to make sure that I honored her. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The movie also tells the story of Hampton's then-fiancée Akua Njeri (née Deborah Johnson, played by Dominique Fishback) who was just 19 — and nearly nine months pregnant — when Hampton was killed during a police raid as he slept in bed next to her. Cause of Death: Gunshot Wound. While remaining an active Black Panther after Fred Hampton’s death, she also took part in numerous other political organizations for Black liberation. Thank You For Supporting This Blog! Dominique [Fishback] is playing an icon who is still alive. The Committee coordinates with the Prisoners of Conscience Committee (POCC), whose advisory committee Njeri also serves on, to hold an annual celebration commemorating Hampton's August 30th. She says two gunshots were then fired, and then another officer said, “He’s good and dead now.” Hampton’s and Clark’s murders were directly the work of the Chicago Police and Cook County state’s attorney Edward Hanrahan. She then heard "He's good and dead now." [1], In May of 1970, ballistics and forensics exonerated the Panthers who had been charged. [3][2], Njeri and Hampton soon became a couple, and in early 1969 Njeri became pregnant. "[4], Njeri joined the Panthers soon after the Wright College event, working on the free breakfast program, the free medical clinic, and the free prison busing program for families of the incarcerated. After police removed Hampton’s pregnant fiancée from the bedroom, she could hear an officer asking if he was still alive. She also occasionally provides speaking appearances to discuss, not only Fred Hampton’s legacy, but also … This is Akua Njeri, then Deborah Johnson. Hilda Akua Death Fact Check. The two organizations also collaborate to recognize International Revolutionary Day on the anniversary of the December 4th assassination of Hampton and Clark. Back then, she was heavily pregnant with Hampton's child. A Member of the Black Panthers and Fred Hampton's fiance, Akua Njeri was with him at 4:30 a.m., when Chicago police raided his apartment, ostensibly to serve a search warrant. While the tears were a necessity the day before, Fishback was committed to not shedding a single one while filming because of something the real Deborah Johnson, now Akua Njeri, said to her: Each Year, His Loved Ones Tell His Story: 'This Legacy Is Under Attack, "The assassination of a black activist: Lawyer Jeffrey Haas remembers Black Panther Fred Hampton", "How Chicago cops' killing of Black Panther's Fred Hampton affected his 19-year-old pregnant fiancée", "Dominique Fishback Transforms into a Black Panther for "Judas and the Black Messiah, "By having a say on 'Judas and the Black Messiah,' Fred Hampton's son 'enriched' the work", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Akua_Njeri&oldid=1011690285, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. [2], Njeri was asleep beside Hampton when agents entered the apartment. Recommended For You. Survivors, including Fred Hampton’s pregnant girlfriend, Akua Njeri — then called Debra Johnson — later described the terrifying scene. Power to the people has not become a reality.” This is the legacy she leaves behind, not a life in the shadow of Fred Hampton, but a life of true, sincere dedication to the people. In 1991, Njeri released her book, “My Life with the Black Panther Party,” which details both her experiences as a Black Panther, as well as her recollections of the Massacre on Monroe and its aftermath. In a 2019 interview, Njeri stated that “I used to say that if I gave up, the ghost of Chairman Fred would haunt me to this day…because we’re still not free. While she is truly kind towards Moka, she isn’t afraid to harm thos… Still time to enter! Thank You For Supporting This Blog! From a young age Njeri was active in her city of Chicago, protesting and marching at just 12 years old during the civil rights movement. [2], Shortly after 4:00am on December 4, 1969, the Chicago Police Department, carrying out a raid connected with the COINTELPRO project, stormed the apartment at 2337 West Monroe Street where Hampton, Njeri and several other Panther members slept.
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