NEAR WEST SIDE — The former headquarters of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party, located at 2350 W. Madison St., was a pivotal site during the civil rights movement, particularly known for its association with Chairman Fred Hampton.
Today, that site has transformed into a Walgreens parking lot, yet on Saturday, it was revived as a place of remembrance with the unveiling of a plaque honoring the local Black Panther Party.
This plaque marks the first of twelve that will be installed across Chicago to commemorate the history of the national Black rights organization.
These plaques will be strategically placed at significant locations related to the Black Panther Party’s history in Chicago and Illinois, with one already unveiled in Peoria. The sites were recently added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 2023, thanks to efforts led by the Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panthers, which had previously introduced the plaques in the past year.
Upon completion, these plaques will collectively form the Black Panther Party Heritage Trail in Illinois, celebrating the organization and the injustices it faced following the assassination of Fred Hampton, as noted during the plaque’s dedication ceremony on Saturday.
The Illinois chapter was co-founded by Hampton, Bobby Rush, and Bob Brown in August 1968, in the lead-up to the Democratic National Convention, a time marked by significant violence amid clashes between demonstrators and police.
The violence from the convention and its aftermath were highlighted in a photo exhibit available during the plaque dedication, which saw participation from elected officials, former Panthers, and local community members.
The chapter was instrumental in providing free breakfast meals to young people and impoverished residents throughout Chicago. Many of the sites from which they operated are set to be commemorated within the planned heritage trail, according to Leila Wills of the Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party.
During the dedication, Rush, who later served for decades in Congress, reflected on the dedication of chapter members to uplift their communities, particularly emphasizing the free breakfast program’s role.
“It wasn’t just about leadership,” Rush remarked. “The Black Panther Party was about those who were the rank and file, those who really would get up in the morning and cook the breakfast.”
He continued, “It was about those who dedicated their lives and their futures … to make the dream and the goals of the Black Panther Party a reality.”
In his brief time as deputy chairman of the Illinois Chapter, Hampton focused on fostering unity across racial divides among working-class communities. He established the Rainbow Coalition, collaborating with various local organizations and street gangs, including the Young Lords and Brown Berets, on community survival projects and demonstrations.
Alderman Walter Burnett (27th) shared a personal connection to the party, noting that his parents lived nearby the former headquarters. Burnett, currently City Council’s longest-serving member and set to resign at the month’s end, urged younger generations to learn from past organizing efforts and recognize the tactics used by authorities to suppress revolutionary ideas.
“This is personal for me,” Burnett emphasized to the audience. “This chapter became a beacon of truth, challenging an unjust system with clarity and fire. They taught us that revolution is not just an act of defiance, but an act of service.”
He warned against sanitizing this historical narrative, stating, “The FBI waged war against them not because they were violent, but because they were effective and building power among the powerless. … Let this marker remind every passerby: These were not just dreamers; they were doers.”
The Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party disbanded in 1973, after becoming increasingly divided in the aftermath of Hampton’s assassination. Hampton was killed at just 21 years old during a police raid facilitated by FBI counterintelligence on December 4, 1969, shortly before the birth of his son, who would later bear his name.
Hampton’s killing was part of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Program, which systematically targeted and sought to dismantle left-wing activist groups, including the Black Panthers, throughout its operation from 1956 to 1971.
Fred Hampton Jr., who attended Saturday’s event, voiced his concerns regarding the historical preservation efforts, stating that the Historical Preservation Society was misappropriating his father’s legacy and the mission of the Black Panther Party for corporate interests.
Rush attempted to address the tensions, saying, “We love you, Fred.”
Billy “Ché” Brooks, who served as the former deputy minister of education for the chapter and was a close ally of Hampton Sr., described Hampton Jr.’s actions at the event as “unacceptable.”
Brooks highlighted the necessity of historic preservation, particularly in a context where racial and class disparities are becoming increasingly pronounced.
“There’s some things we can do to create the type of support and understanding that we need in our community at this time,” Brooks remarked. “Because 1968 is not that different from 2025. It really comes down to governments committing genocide throughout the world, and that needs to be struggled against.”
He underscored the importance of remembering the challenges faced in the ’60s and ’70s.
Additional sites that will receive plaques honoring the Black Panthers include the Better Boys Foundation at 1512 S. Pulaski Road, noted as the original location for the free breakfast program for children; Hampton’s apartment, located at 2337 W. Monroe St., where he was assassinated; and the People’s Medical Care Center at 3850 W. 16th St.
Fredrika Newton, daughter of Black Panther Party co-founder Huey P. Newton, expressed her concern regarding the loss of historical sites, stating, “Too often, these places … are lost, bulldozed, gentrified, forgotten.”
She added, “When that happens, we lose more than buildings. We lose memory, we lose meaning and we lose momentum. But there is hope, and there is precedent, and now there is this marker, because this place meant something empowering, decisive, and hopeful.”
Newton concluded by saying, “Let this be the first of many, many to come.”
image source from：blockclubchicago
