Fred Hampton

Fred Hampton (August 30, 1948 – December 4, 1969) was a radical African American

Youth

Hampton was born on August 30, 1948, in Chicago, Illinois and grew up in Maywood, a suburb to

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the west of the city.

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His parents had moved north from Louisiana, and both worked at the

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Argo Starch Company.

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As a youth, Hampton was gifted both in the classroom and on the athletic field,

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graduating from high school with honors in 1966.

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Following his graduation, Hampton enrolled at Triton Junior College in nearby

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River Grove, Illinois, majoring in pre-law. He also became active in the

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National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), assuming

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leadership of the Youth Council of the organization's West Suburban Branch. In

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his capacity as an NAACP youth organizer, Hampton began to show signs of his

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natural leadership abilities; from a community of 27,000, he was able to muster

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a youth group 500-members strong.

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He worked to get more and better recreational facilities established in the

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neighborhoods, and to improve educational resources for Maywood's impoverished

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black community.

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Through his involvement with the NAACP, Hampton hoped to achieve social change

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through nonviolent activism and community organizing.

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