Martyred Houston Panther leader honored

Carl B. Hampton, the leader of People’s Party II in Houston, was assassinated by the Houston police 40 years ago on July 26. His life and legacy, however, are very much alive in the hearts and actions of those who worked with him, those who remember him and those who treasure his history but were not yet born when he was killed.

The Carl B. Hampton 40th Anniversary Memorial Committee organized five days of activities from July 22 to 26. These events brought together former leading Black Panther Party members from around the country, Houston activists who knew and worked with Hampton, and hundreds of people from all over this city who were eager to learn about Houston’s revolutionary African-American history.

In 1969, while in Oakland, Hampton discovered and was inspired by the BPP, and he decided to begin a chapter in Houston. Since the BPP was not then authorizing new chapters, he created People’s Party II in recognition that the BPP was the “first People’s Party.” He began organizing in early 1970, but months after PPII opened, Houston police assassinated Hampton.

After Hampton’s death, due to his great sacrifice, the BPP leadership granted chapter status to PPII and it became known as the Houston chapter of the Black Panther Party.

“Carl Hampton was only 21 when he was gunned down, but he was educated and wise beyond his years,” said Charles “Boko” Freeman, who organized PPII with Hampton and was a leader of Houston’s BPP chapter.

The 40th anniversary commemorations began with a Black Panther Party art exhibit with framed front pages of more than 50 newspapers illustrated by BPP Minister of Culture Emory Douglass; revolutionary art by Freeman; historical photography and posters. Douglass and former Panther Billy X Jennings gave an art presentation with more than 150 slides of revolutionary art that chronicled the BPP’s history. Freeman had reproduced prints of his beautiful painting depicting Hampton’s life, which were available to participants.

Playwright Parnell Herbert presented his new production of “The Angola 3,” about three BPP members and political prisoners in Louisiana’s Angola State Prison. The audience responded very enthusiastically to the play.

John King, the only one of the Angola 3 who has been released from prison, was an honored guest at the play. The other two, Herman Wallace and Albert Woodfox, have been in solitary confinement for more than 37 years for a crime they did not commit. (www.angola3.org)

Community rally, gravesite remembrance

The main event was a community rally at Emancipation Park, which is across the street from the first BPP headquarters. A highlight was the introduction of Hampton’s son, Maasai, who was six months old when his father was gunned down. Maasai, who was on the commemoration’s planning committee, thanked all the activists there for teaching him about his father’s history. Hampton’s sister and nieces were also introduced.

Emotions ran high as six of the Houston members of the PPII/BPP took the stage. Bobby Reed, Claude Frost, Sensei Benton, Loretta Freeman, Bunchy Crear and Freeman received a warm standing ovation.

A guest speaker was Kathleen Cleaver, the first woman member of the Black Panther Party Central Committee, who is currently a law professor at Emory University School of Law.

Panthers United for Revolutionary Education sent a special message of solidarity from Texas’ notorious death row. It was read by Regina Guidry, a member of the Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement.

Also attending the rally were former members of the John Brown Revolutionary League and the Mexican American Youth Organization. Hampton had organized Houston’s Rainbow Coalition in 1970 with these two groups, and they held many joint protests and rallies.

Other events were a Strategies for Change Conference at Texas Southern University and a Panther Film Festival, organized by BPP historian and archivist Jennings. That was held at the SHAPE Community Center.

The final event took place on July 26, exactly 40 years after Hampton’s murder. His comrades, family and supporters gathered at his gravesite to remember and speak about his contributions to the Panthers, to African-American history and to the revolutionary movement of the 1960s. Former Panther Geronimo ji Jaga sent a special message from Tanzania, which Benton read.

Dr. Charles E. Jones, founding chair of the Department of African-American Studies at Georgia State University in Atlanta, presented his newly released booklet in honor of Hampton at the commemorative events. Its title is “Arm Yourself or Harm Yourself: People’s Party II and the Black Panther Party in Houston, Texas.”

Dr. Jones wrote, “[T]he perseverance, dedication and courage of the members are undisputable. They left a legacy of self-defense, multi-racial coalition politics, and community empowerment built in the face of rampant police repression. ... Most importantly, these young African-American men and women dared to challenge racial oppression and to struggle on behalf of black and other oppressed people.”

Source: www.itsabouttimebpp.com