By Kehinde Andrews
If you dare to struggle, you dare to win. If you don’t dare to struggle, then Goddammit it you don’t deserve to win. Let me say peace to you, if you’re prepared to fight for it.
Fred Hampton
Fred Hampton was murdered by the Chicago policed department in December 1969, because he was one the most effective Black Panther leaders. As we plan to remember the 50th anniversary of the Panthers on the 15th October at BCU, the spirit and words of Fred Hampton ring as true now as they ever did.
I visited the city of Chicago where Fred Hampton organised over a year ago but have not looked at my notes from that trip until now. I was planning to write a piece on the difference between the affluent centre, where the conference I was attending was based, and the poorer, Blacker parts of the city. But seeing the contrasts in the city and how accustomed to it people were left me shaken and too troubled about the situation to write the piece.
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