FRED HAMPTON, JR. the son of a panther who himself became a political prisoner was freed in September 2001, after serving nearly a decade in prison. His father, the gregarious leader of the Chicago Panthers, was assassinated while he slept next to his pregnant wife in 1969. In 1990, at the age of 20, Fred Jr. was already extremely active in the same political circles that proved to be deadly for his father. He became the President of the local National People's Democratic Uhuru Movement (NPDUM), joining their fight for the rights of African people in the United States. In March 1992, the government made two separate attempts to indict Fred on charges of murder and armed robbery. He was found not guilty of both. In May of that same year, Fred was accused of firebombing a Korean store. On May 19, 1993, Fred Hampton, Jr. is sentenced to eighteen years in prison on one count of aggravated arson. Upon his release, Fred has continued his work on behalf of oppressed people.
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