Fred Hampton’s childhood home to become a community center, museum

The childhood home of Black Panther icon Fred Hampton will become a community center now that Hampton’s son, Fred Hampton Jr., reached a fundraising goal.

The film “Judas and the Black Messiah,” which was released last week, may have played a pivotal role in pushing the online fundraiser over the top.

In the aftermath of the film’s release (which has grossed nearly $2 million from its weekend opening box office sales), the “Save the Hampton House” GoFundMe page garnered about $356,000 — $6,700 more than the $350,000 goal. While donations between $10 and $50 were made, one anonymous donor sent $8,000.

The charismatic leader’s parents bought the two-story apartment building at 804 S. 17th Avenue in 1958; it has remained with the family since.

In 2018, the Sun-Times cited an auction listing posted by The Judicial Sales Corporation saying the Hampton house officially went into default on June 21, 2018, and a judgment of foreclosure was entered the following month.

Hampton Jr., leader of the Black Panther Party Cubs and a creative consultant on “Judas and the Black Messiah,” a film that details the events leading up to a 1969 predawn raid that led to the killing of his father, plans to convert the Hampton house into a community center and museum, archiving the Panthers’ history and hosting political education programs, along with opening a recording studio to run music programs, according to the online fundraiser’s mission statement.

On Friday, Hampton Jr. released the first episode of the “Judas and the Black Messiah” podcast.

Chicago rapper Noname, who declined participation in the film’s soundtrack, tweeted: “all this financial investment into artistic products meanwhile fred hampton jr is still fundraising to save his fathers house smh. please donate if you can.”