Class Description
This course explores why the Black Panther Party emerged in the political and community life of Chicagoans and the various meanings of its historical legacy. Main topics include: white violence, the Chicago Police Department’s turn to aggressive neighborhood policing, Fred Hampton's early life, the Chicago BPP’s ideology, community programs and the movement for community control of the police, the co-creation of multi-ethnic alliances or the “Original Rainbow Coalition” with The Young Lords and Rising Up Angry, Chicago Police Department raids, the FBI COINTELPRO program, and media portrayals of the CBPP. We'll conclude with the raid on December 4, 1969, where Fred Hampton and Mark Clark were killed and its aftermath and consequences. In addition to the course textbook, we'll look at a variety of rich and provocative primary sources including newspaper articles, newsletters created by the Black Panther Party and Rising Up Angry, and film clips.
Chris Stacey is a cultural historian who taught Chicago history at DePaul University and the University of Illinois Chicago. Since 2021, he has presented a series of virtual public lectures on Chicago's history. Chris has taught courses at the Newberry Library beginning in the Fall session of 2023.
What to Expect
Format: In Person
Class Capacity: 18
Class Style: Mix of lecture and discussion; participation encouraged
Materials List
Required
- Jakobi Williams, From the Bullet to the Ballot. The University of North Carolina Press, 2015. ISBN: 978-1469622101
- Other Instructor-Distributed Materials
First Reading
- Please read Chapter One in From the Bullet to the Ballot.
- The instructor will also email a PDF file of articles from Chicago Defender and Chicago Tribune newspapers.
A Brief Syllabus
- Origins
- The Chicago Police Department, Fred Hampton Civil Rights Activist, & the National Black Panther Party
- The Chicago Black Panther Party
- The Original Rainbow Coalition
- Targeting the Chicago Black Panther Party
- The Murder of Fred Hampton
Cost and Registration
6 Sessions, $245 ($220.50 for Newberry members, seniors, and students). Learn about becoming a member.
We offer our classes at three different price options: Regular ($245), Community Supported ($225), and Sponsor ($265). Following the models of other institutions, we want to ensure that our classes are accessible to a wider audience while continuing to support our instructors. You may choose the price that best fits your situation when registering through Learning Stream.
To register multiple people for this class, please go through the course calendar in Learning Stream, our registration platform. When you select the course and register, you’ll be prompted to add another registrant.
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