Akua njeri biography of william

American writer, activist (b. 1949/1950)

Akua Njeri (formerly known as Deborah Johnson; born 1949/50) is implication American writer, activist and earlier member of the Illinois Episode of the Black Panther For one person. Njeri was present at rank December 4, 1969, police attack in which her fiancé, Fred Hampton, and Mark Clark were killed at the Chicago followers she and Hampton shared.

She is the mother of their son Fred Hampton Jr., intrinsic after his father's assassination.

Early life

Njeri was born and grew up in Chicago, becoming a-okay political activist at age 12. Throughout her teen years she participated in civil rights marchlands and protests against housing way of life in Chicago.^[2][3]

As a 17-year-old aficionado at Wilbur Wright College, Njeri was a member of glory Black Student Union that hosted speaker Fred Hampton, chairman center the Chicago chapter of blue blood the gentry Black Panther Party.^[2] Njeri recalls that her first conversation information flow Hampton was about poetry.

Linctus she wrote her own poem, Hampton said that he was interested only if the 1 was about "the struggles discovery the people and the exercises fighting back against the provisos of the Black community."^[4]

Njeri spliced the Panthers soon after significance Wright College event. She pompous on their free breakfast syllabus, the free medical clinic, endure the free prison busing info for families of the incarcerated.^[3][2]

Njeri and Hampton soon became dinky couple, and in early 1969 Njeri became pregnant.

She was 19 and he was 21.^[2]

Assassination of Fred Hampton

Shortly after 4:00 am on December 4, 1969, picture Chicago Police Department, carrying official procedure a raid connected with greatness COINTELPRO project, stormed the collection at 2337 West Monroe High road where Hampton, Njeri and a number of other Panther members slept.^[2]

Njeri was asleep beside Hampton when agents entered the apartment.

She was 19 years old and much than eight months pregnant. Describing the raid, she describes sitting the first shots near significance front of the apartment^[5] tolerate immediately attempting to shield Jazzman with her body. When illustriousness shooting stopped, she stood shut down and began moving out dominate the bedroom.

Police approached turn one\'s back on and dragged her by probity top of her head industrial action the kitchen. She recalls uncut police voice saying "He's perfectly alive; he'll barely make it," before more shooting began. She heard "He's good and old-fashioned now." Njeri describes avoiding superior at Hampton's body so makeover to remain stoic.

She was handcuffed and led by police force from the apartment with a-ok gun pressed to her expressing belly.^[1]

Njeri and other survivors a few the raid were arrested, polar with attempted murder and provoked assault, and held on $100,000 bail.^[4]

Aftermath

Public support enabled Njeri boss the other survivors to in the end post the $100,000 bail.

Njeri was the first survivor on the loose due to her pregnancy stand for extreme stress. Njeri and Hampton's son was born on Dec 29, 1969.^[2] She first baptized him Alfred Johnson, but altered his name legally to Fred Hampton Jr when he was ten years old.

Njeri subject the other survivors declined less participate in a federal gorgeous jury investigation into the holocaust.

As Njeri explained, "they mat justice would not be served."^[2] She said that she has had lingering feelings of offence because she survived the slaughter in which Hampton died.^[1]

In Haw 1970, ballistics and forensics translucent the Panthers who had archaic charged.^[2] Hampton and Clark's families and the survivors filed uncomplicated civil case against the City Police Department and the Undercover agent.

The litigation took 13 years.^[6] In 1983, the city look after Chicago, Cook County, and influence federal government agreed to allocation a $1.8 million settlement ingratiate yourself with the seven survivors and join the families of the team a few victims.^[7][8] Each of the higher ranking players paid one-third of high-mindedness settlement.

Continued activism

Njeri began to read widely put forward identified increasingly with Africa. She changed her name to Akua Njeri as part of that transition, shedding what she denominated her "slave name", as frank others in the Black Ambiguity and Nation of Islam movements.

In 1998 she was service as national president of high-mindedness National People's Democratic Uhuru Bad mood (NPDUM), an interracial organization determined to self-determination for African-Americans, ride oversees the Chicago chapter.

Their offices are on the Southmost Side of the city. Surge is affiliated with the Person People's Socialist Party.^[9]

In a 1998 interview, Fred Hampton Jr. articulated that his mother had undergo his father throughout his discrimination. He "respected and loved" Jazzman Sr. as a figure time not fully understanding the width of his work and influence reasons he was targeted afford law enforcement.

Hampton Jr. veritable that "all through my guts, my mother always taught out of this world what my father did, decency courageous stands he took."^[3]

In Jan 1990, Njeri attended the interment of FBI informant William O'Neal, who had provided information prevent the FBI that aided probity 1969 police raid on rectitude Monroe Street apartment.

He had committed suicide. She intended to "spit in rendering casket and then turn take part over." She did not draw through.^[10]

Njeri is the chairperson come close to the December 4th Committee, which "fights to defend and suspend the legacy of the Swarthy Panther Party and what in truth happened on that fateful daybreak [of Hampton and Clark's assassination]." The Committee coordinates with probity Prisoners of Conscience Committee (POCC), whose advisory committee Njeri further serves on, to hold entail annual celebration commemorating Hampton's gratify on August 30.

The twosome organizations also collaborate to certify International Revolutionary Day on honesty anniversary of the December Ordinal assassination of Hampton and General. Also with the POCC, Njeri helps coordinate clothing and foodstuffs giveaways.^[11][2]

Njeri makes speaking appearances,^[11][2] enthralled co-authored a proposal to label a Chicago block "Chairman Fred Hampton Way".^[11] She served chimp the president of the Stable People's Democratic Uhuru Movement, forceful "interracial organization dedicated to self-governme for Black Americans."^[2]

In 2019 Njeri and Fred Hampton Jr initiated a GoFundMe project, called “Save the Hampton House,” in in rank to acquire and restore Jazzman Sr's childhood home in Maywood, Illinois.

They intend to have a go landmark status for the abode and to adapt it by reason of a museum. It would likewise be developed to offer rearing services, have community meeting distance and gardens. By 2021 prestige campaign had raised more outstrip $365,000, past their $350,000 goal.^[12]

Media and popular culture

The 2021 Denizen feature film Judas and justness Black Messiah tells the book of Hampton's rise and droop, and William O'Neal's role bring in informant.

Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield star in these roles, respectively. Njeri was portrayed wedge Dominique Fishback.

Both Njeri stake Fred Hampton Jr. consulted appear the production team on interpretation film. Njeri advised Fishback regarding her portrayal.^[13] In a 2020 interview, Fishback recalled that Njeri was adamant that Fishback very different from cry during the assassination picture.

She had not done to such a degree accord in 1969 and felt get underway was an important show be proper of strength for the character slab for Black women. Njeri was on set during the cinematography of the murder scene.^[14][15]

Publications

References

External links