Walter “Slim” Coleman: City-Wide Memorial May 30
A special Sunday service dedicated to Rev. Coleman will be held on April 21, 11:00 a.m., at Lincoln United Methodist Church, 2242 S. Damen Ave., Chicago. There will be a city-wide memorial honoring Rev. Coleman on May 30. More details to come.
The Passing of Reverend Walter “Slim” Coleman
Photo and caption: Harvard University
The Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party offers our deepest condolences to Slim’s family, Party members, and the Intercommunal Survival Committee. Reverend Walter “Slim” Coleman passed on April 16, 2024, at 80 years old.
Harvard University–Rev Walter Coleman spent fifty years in the struggle in Chicago – from the anti-war and civil rights movement of the 1960s to the Rainbow coalition organized by the Black Panther Party to the historic election of Mayor Harold Washington.
He served as Pastor of Adalberto United Methodist Church during Elvira Arellano’s time in sanctuary and worked as an aide to Congressman Luis Gutierrez for ten years.
He is married to the current pastor of the church, Rev Emma Lozano, who continues to lead the ministry for the undocumented. Rev Coleman serves as the director of Familia Latina Unida Ministries he holds a Master of Divinity from Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary.
He is the author of Elvira’s Faith – The Struggle for the Rights of Undocumented Families” and “Fair Share, The Rights of the People, an account of the movement that led to the election of Mayor Harold Washington in Chicago.
City-Wide Memorial May 30
From United Methodist Church:
A special Sunday service dedicated to Rev. Coleman will be held on April 21, 11:00 a.m., at Lincoln United Methodist Church, 2242 S. Damen Ave., Chicago. Pastor Tonya Lozano and her husband, Allen Lozano Coleman, will lead the services.
There will be a city-wide memorial honoring Rev. Coleman on May 30. More details to come.
Messages of condolence can be sent to his family:
Mrs. Emma Lozano and family
2009 W. 22nd Pl.
Chicago, IL 60608
In lieu of flowers, donations in his name can be made to the following:
Lincoln United Methodist Church
2242 S. Damen Ave.
Chicago, IL 60608
Tribute to Walter “Slim” Coleman
by Yvonne King, Illinois Chapter and Historical Preservation Society Member
I wish to convey my condolences to the family of Walter ‘Slim’ Coleman, members of the Intercommunal Survival Committee, the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party and other members of the Black Panther Party (BPP) on Slim’s passing.
I wish to pay tribute to Slim, whom I had the opportunity to work with, especially from 1971 – 1973, and I was among the team of Illinois Chapter Panthers who interviewed him 12/17/2020.
As Coordinator of the Intercommunal Survival Committee (ISC), Slim published an article in the Black Panther Party newspaper on the 10th Anniversary of the organization, Vol. XV No. 27, Oct. 16, 1976, entitled, “On The Intercommunal Survival Committee.”
He wrote: “The ISC was formed in 1970 at the direction and with the guidance of the Black Panther Party, in Chicago, IL. Initially applying the tested methods of work of the BPP to the oppressed White community . . . .
To develop a strong base on principled lines, we believe that there must be a dedicated cadre functioning through a well-organized structure that makes it possible to develop consistent literature to interpret events of the day, and operate what the BPP has called basic ‘Survival Programs’ creating a lifeline to the community.
With the basic structure for our cadres established, including democratic centralism, criticism and self-criticism, a collective means of survival eliminating class differences, daily procedures for evaluation of practice, we began to establish our organized structure in the community.”
Slim was working in the SDS District Office on Clinton Street in Chicago in 1968, according to Slim, when “Bobby Rush [then Deputy Minister of Defense] came into the [SDS] office and said that they were establishing the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party and could they get some tables and chairs? And I said, ‘We can do that, Bobby. We can get you some tables and chairs.’ I started working with the Party then, and I started working with Fred (Hampton), almost on a daily basis after that.”
In our 2020 interview with Slim, he shared a story about Fred Hampton: “Remember that Mike Gray [producer of the documentary, The Murder of Fred Hampton] had a little studio. He’d (Fred) say, Come on, Slim, pick me up, and we would meet over there at 3:00 in the morning at the studio, and Fred would be listening to speeches by King or whomever . . . . And, he’d try it out, work it out. [Fred would say] Okay, now I’ll go over the tape; let me add some more stuff like that, so he [Fred] worked on being a communicator. He knew that communication was an important thing.”
Eyes on the Prize Interview
Learn More About Slim
We encourage you to view the many articles, tributes and statements released on Slim to learn about his dynamic life in the struggle for human rights.
In this Eyes on the Prize interview, he talks about his role in the election of Harold Washington.
The Historical Preservation Society
We are in a race against time to capture the living history of the Black Panther Party, the Rainbow Coalition and the Intercommunal Survival Committee.
Our history has been erased from Chicago’s landscape, and we must provide these histories' actual narrative and context.
Thank you for helping us with this work.
Illinois Chapter Sponsors Marker at Assassination Site
Sacred Spaces: Help us reach our goal of placing historical markers at significant sites of the Black Panther Party in Chicago.
2337 W. Monroe to Receive Historical Marker
On December 4, 1969, Illinois Deputy Chairman Fred Hampton and Illinois Defense Captain Mark Clark were assassinated by a collusion between the FBI and Edward Hanrahan’s Chicago Police.
Photo: Chicago History Museum
Newspapers carried the false story of State’s Attorney Hanrahan. Evidence would later prove that the police shot 99 bullets into the apartment and tried to kill everyone inside. The so-called bullet holes in the pictures were proven to be nail heads.
Photo: Chicago Tribune
The Black Panther Party opened the apartment to show the public the evidence of what took place.
Photo: Chicago History Museum
Sacred Spaces
Help us reach our goal of placing historical markers at significant sites of the Black Panther Party in Chicago.
Sites
1. Headquarters - 2350 W. Madison Street, Chicago - DONE, SPONSOR: Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation
2. Spurgeon Jake Winters Free Medical Center - 3850 W. 16th Street, Chicago
3. Better Boys Foundation - Not demolished, new structure 1512 S. Pulaski, Chicago, DONE, Sponsored by the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party
4. Southside Office - 4233 S. Indiana, Chicago
5. St. Dominic’s Church - 357 W. Locust, Chicago, DONE, This marker has been secured by the Northside Cadre
6. Assassination Site - 2337 W. Monroe, DONE, Sponsored by the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party
Thank you for donating
Fred Hampton and Mark Clark Park
Franklin Park, 4320 W. 15th Street, is near several significant sites in North Lawndale, the most prominent Black Panther Party area.
Rename Franklin Park to Honor Black Panther Leaders in Illinois
Dear Superintendent Escareño,
On August 30, 2023, Mayor Brandon Johnson declared August 30th as Chairman Fred Hampton Day. Our organization and its members are requesting Benjamin Franklin Park be renamed “Fred Hampton and Mark Clark Park” in honor of two leaders of the Black Panther Party in Illinois who the FBI assassinated.
My name is Leila Wills, and I am the executive director of the Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party. We completed a landmarking request with the state of Illinois. In late December 2023, the National Park Service signed a Thematic Listing for the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party into the National Register of Historic Places.
You may view the Thematic Listing and our extensive documentation of the Party’s work in Chicago here - Final ILBPP Thematic Listing MPS.pdf
Franklin Park, 4320 W. 15th Street, is near several significant sites in North Lawndale, the most prominent Black Panther Party area. The most notable of these sites is the Spurgeon Jake Winters People’s Medical Center at 3850 W. 16th Street, which officially opened in January 1970.
The free medical center was in a remodeled storefront. Penn Elementary School, located across the street from the medical center at 1616 S. Avers, was the first location of the Party’s Sickle Cell Anemia canvassing. It still exists today, and the school’s mascot is a panther. Illinois Deputy Chairman Fred Hampton and Defense Captain Mark Clark were slain in an FBI-planned assassination three weeks before the health center opened at 2337 W. Monroe. The Deputy Minister of Health, Ronald Satchell, was severely wounded in the attack.
The Great Migration, white flight, and local politics led to the concentration of poverty, hunger, and disease in Black-populated areas with the most significant influx of migrants like North Lawndale. These areas were “no man’s lands” and “medical wastelands”, and Cook County’s main hospital was used as a poor patient dumping ground.
Where other groups could not organize healthcare clinics in poor neighborhoods, the Black Panther Party’s community outreach proved successful. The American Journal of Public Health estimated that the Spurgeon Jake Free People’s Medical Center, named after a fallen BPP member, had 1400 patients registered and saw at least 75 patients a week. Dr. Quentin Young said, “The Panthers weren’t taking the easy route. The community they picked, Lawndale, was about as depressed as you can get in America. It was the center of the ghetto. Very high joblessness, a very high dependency on welfare, all of the attendant problems.”
Hampton explained the rationale behind opening the clinic in North Lawndale, “...our free health clinic is opening up probably this Sunday at 16th and Springfield. Now does everybody know where 16th and Springfield is at? That’s not in Winnetka, you understand. That’s not in Dekalb, that’s in Babylon. That’s in the heart of Babylon, brothers, and sisters. And that free health clinic was put there because we know where the problem is at. We know that black people are most oppressed. And if we didn’t know that, then why the hell would we be running around talking about the black liberation struggle has to be the vanguard for all liberation struggles?”
In April 1971, the BPP began an all-out public outreach campaign on Sickle Cell Anemia. The newspaper carried images of sickled blood cells on the front page, and the middle spread explained the disease. The Party criticized the US Government for its lack of response to the disease and set out to test community members. In 1972, President Richard Nixon signed the National Sickle Cell Anemia Control Act, which provided funds for education, research, and treatment for those with the disease. Today, hospitals test all newborns for the trait and disease.
We are developing a Black Panther Party Heritage Trail in Illinois. During their short time with us, Black Panther Party leaders Fred Hampton and Mark Clark demonstrated outstanding service and dedication to the people in their work to open the medical center and all other social programs. The community was robbed of their continued work when the FBI assassinated them. We nominate Benjamin Franklin Park to be renamed in their honor and in honor of the Black Panther Party.
Other parts of our landmarking initiative include several markers at significant Party locations, and we hope to include the park’s renaming in our upcoming programming.
Please let me know if you have any questions or if I can provide anything further.
A copy of this letter is attached, and we look forward to working with you.
Dedicate Chicago Park to Black Panther Party
Historical Preservation Society Requests Park 574 be Named “People’s Park”
Name Park 574 “People’s Park”
February 4, 2024, Letter to Chicago Park District Superintendent
Dear Superintendent Escareño,
Our organization and its members are requesting Park 574 be named “People’s Park” in honor of the Black Panther Party in Illinois.
My name is Leila Wills, and I am the executive director of the Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party. We completed a landmarking request with the state of Illinois. In late December 2023, the National Park Service signed a Thematic Listing for the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party into the National Register of Historic Places.
You may view the Thematic Listing and our extensive documentation of the Party’s work in Chicago here - Final ILBPP Thematic Listing MPS.pdf
Park 574, 2540 W. Jackson, sits on the grounds of the former Rockwell Gardens public housing and is a half-mile from the Party’s former Illinois headquarters at 2350 W. Madison. We are developing a Black Panther Party Heritage Trail in Illinois and the Party had extensive outreach in Rockwell Gardens, the school, and the surrounding community.
It crossed racial barriers in Chicago and established the Rainbow Coalition with the Young Lords, Young Patriots, Rising Up Angry, and others that politicized underrepresented communities like Puerto Ricans, poor whites, and other ethnic groups to demand participation in city services.
Poverty was geographically concentrated on Chicago's west, south, and near north sides and created “no-man’s lands” where no outsider dared to venture, except for the priest, pastor, or police. Poverty was the causative factor of the other social ills that came with it: crime, violence, broken families, substance abuse, educational failure, disease, and hunger.
The Party founded and organized groundbreaking social programs that led to legislative change. Programs against hunger include the Free Breakfast for Children Program, located throughout Chicago’s neighborhoods, and fed over 4,000 children a day at its peak. A result of this initiative, led by the Black Panther Party, was the U.S. School Breakfast Program, which was permanently authorized in 1975 and inspired federal programs such as the USDA’s National School Breakfast Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
Another revolutionary program started by the Party was free health care. The Spurgeon Jake Winters People’s Health Center was located at 3850 W. 16th Street and was a pioneering leader in servicing poor people. The American Journal of Public Health estimated that the Spurgeon Jake Free Medical Center, named after a fallen BPP member, had 1400 patients registered and saw at least 75 patients a week. The practices at the health center included a patient advocate who ensured privacy to the patients and led to today’s HIPPA rules and standards.
Sickle Cell Anemia testing initiated by the Black Panther Party led to the National Sickle Cell Anemia Control Act in 1972, signed by President Richard Nixon. The Act provided funds for education, research, and treatment for those with the disease. Today, because of this trailblazing initiative by the Black Panther Party, all newborns are tested for Sickle Cell Anemia.
The Black Panther Party in Illinois has demonstrated outstanding service and dedication to the people, and we now nominate Park 574 to be named “People’s Park” in honor of those they represented and served.
Other parts of our landmarking initiative include several markers at significant Party locations, and we hope to include the park’s naming in our summer programming. Please let me know if you have any questions or if I can provide anything further.
We look forward to working with you.
Best,
Leila Wills
The Historical Markers Fund
Help place historical markers at demolished Black Panther Party sites in Chicago.
Donate to our Historical Markers Fund
The Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party has successfully achieved a Thematic Listing for the Black Panther Party in Illinois on the National Register of Historic Places.
All proceeds from this fundraiser will go to our Historical Marker Fund. Your donation will help us order and install historic markers at key Black Panther Party Locations in Illinois. Just about all of these sites have been demolished. Our markers will commemorate the work of the Party for years to come.
A Few Notes on the Rainbow Coalition and Chicago’s Near North Side
It’s important to remember that besides the West and South Sides, a substantial community was on the Near North Side. Besides Cabrini-Green, which housed 15,000 people, African Americans then lived modestly (often in tenements) around Cleveland & Larrabee Streets, Old Town Gardens.
Black Panther Party’s Jerry “Odinga” Dunigan led the Free Breakfast for Children Program at St. Dominic’s Church in the Cabrini Green Area. Photo: Steve Shames
It’s important to remember that besides the West and South Sides, a substantial community was on the Near North Side. Besides Cabrini-Green, which housed 15,000 people, African Americans then lived modestly (often in tenements) around Cleveland & Larrabee Streets, Old Town Gardens.
Cabrini Green Public Housing
The Rainbow Coalition grew out of the vision and work of the Black Panther Party’s North Side Cadre: Bob Lee, Odinga, Poison, et al. The most representative work of the cadre is the Rainbow Coalition and the breakfast program.
The successful organizing of the Rainbow Coalition was due to the presence of the Young Lords, Young Patriots, Rising up Angry, the Black Souls, Marion Stamps & the Chicago Housing Tenants Organization, and the National Welfare Rights Organization. The first influx of Puerto Ricans in Chicago settled around Clark Street (La Clark) and was pushed north and west as Old Town evolved.
The roots of Chicago music of our era were in Cabrini Green: Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions, The Butler Brothers–Jerry & Billy, the ChiLites, Major Lance, Ramsey Lewis, the White brothers and their group Earth, Wind & Fire, and the Players.
The movie classic Cooley High takes place there. The now-demolished school was across the street from Cabrini Green. Eric Monte, who wrote Cooley High, grew up in Cabrini and went on to Hollywood where he had a substantial career. He also had a writing partnership with Norman Lear’s shows.
St. Dominic’s Church, now demolished. Photo: (DNAinfo/Paul Biasco)
The Historical Markers Fund
Help place historical markers at St. Dominic’s Church and other demolished Black Panther Party sites in Chicago.
Donate to our Historical Markers Fund
The Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party has successfully achieved a Thematic Listing for the Black Panther Party in Illinois on the National Register of Historic Places.
All proceeds from this fundraiser will go to our Historical Marker Fund. Your donation will help us order and install historic markers at key Black Panther Party Locations in Illinois. Just about all of these sites have been demolished. Our markers will commemorate the work of the Party for years to come.
Help us Commemorate the Black Panther Party in Illinois
Historical Markers Fund
Help us raise the remaining funds before March 1st.
Historical Markers Fund
Help us raise the remaining funds before March 1st
Help place historical markers at demolished Black Panther Party sites in Chicago.
The Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party has successfully achieved a Thematic Listing for the Black Panther Party in Illinois on the National Register of Historic Places.
All proceeds from this fundraiser will go to our Historical Marker Fund. Your donation will help us order and install historic markers at key Black Panther Party Locations in Illinois. Just about all of these sites have been demolished. Our markers will commemorate the work of the Party for years to come.
Sites
1. Headquarters - 2350 W. Madison Street, Chicago - DONE! SPONSOR: Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation
2. Spurgeon Jake Winters Free Medical Center - 3850 W. 16th Street, Chicago
3. Better Boys Foundation - Not demolished, new structure 1512 S. Pulaski, Chicago
4. Southside Office - 4233 S. Indiana, Chicago
5. St. Dominic’s Church - 357 W. Locust, Chicago
This is Black History: Help us Honor the Black Panther Party
We are commemorating, documenting, and preserving the history of the Black Panther Party in Illinois. This is Black History. Join the Historical Preservation Society to be a part of this movement. Your $25 membership fee will go to our Historical Markers Fund.
Join or Renew Your Membership
We are commemorating, documenting, and preserving the history of the Black Panther Party in Illinois.
This is Black History.
Join the Historical Preservation Society to be a part of this movement.
Your $25 membership fee will go to our Historical Markers Fund.
We achieved a major landmarking success in Phase I.
Be a part of Phase II and help us install historical markers at key Black Panther Party sites in Chicago.
Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation Sponsors First Historical Marker
The first marker will be placed at the Illinois Chapter’s headquarters location at 2350 W. Madison in Chicago.
Thank you to everyone who attended our online celebration on Thursday! We had such a great time and it was really beautiful to hear from members of the Illinois Chapter and all who spoke.
During the presentation, we told you about our Historical Markers Fund…well, yesterday, January 23, 2024, the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation sponsored our first historical marker! Xavier Buck, the Foundation’s executive director, delivered the great news.
The first marker will be placed at the Illinois Chapter’s headquarters location at 2350 W. Madison in Chicago.
We are grateful for this generous donation and will proudly display their sponsorship, name, and logo on the marker.
Thank you to the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation!
Your Donations
Those of you who donated during our online celebration and all other donations this month have been automatically categorized under the Historical Marker Fund. We are almost at 25% of our goal!
Thank you for giving and please help us complete this fund! Production for the markers, permit requirements, and installation will take approximately 90 days.
Help us raise the remaining funds before March 1st so we can plan our unveiling ceremonies this summer!
You can share this link on social media https://ilbpp.org/historical-markers-fund
The Historical Markers Fund
Help place historical markers at demolished Black Panther Party sites in Chicago.
The Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party has successfully achieved a Thematic Listing for the Black Panther Party in Illinois on the National Register of Historic Places.
All proceeds from this fundraiser will go to our Historical Markers Fund. Your donation will help us order and install historic markers at key Black Panther Party Locations in Illinois. Just about all of these sites have been demolished. Our markers will commemorate the work of the Party for years to come.
Sites
1. Headquarters - 2350 W. Madison Street, Chicago
2. Spurgeon Jake Winters Free Medical Center - 3850 W. 16th Street, Chicago
3. Better Boys Foundation - Not demolished, new structure 1512 S. Pulaski, Chicago
4. Southside Office - 4233 S. Indiana, Chicago
5. St. Dominic’s Church - 357 W. Locust, Chicago
Thank you for helping fundraise, and we look forward to the first unveiling ceremony!
Sponsor a Historical Marker
Please let us know if you or your organization would like to sponsor a historical marker.
Landmarking Update – Church of the Epiphany is Posted for Public Comment
More good news! Starting today, December 26, 2023, the National Park Service is soliciting electronic comments on the significance of the Black Panther Party’s history in relation to the Church of the Epiphany.
This is the first property to be added to the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party’s Thematic Listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
More good news! Starting today, December 26, 2023, the National Park Service is soliciting electronic comments on the significance of the Black Panther Party’s history in relation to the Church of the Epiphany.
This is the first property to be added to the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party’s Thematic Listing in the National Register of Historic Places. After the comment period ends on January 10, 2024, we expect the final decision from the National Park Service. Thank you for your years of support in making this possible!
Email the National Park Service in Support of This Amendment
Please email your support of this amendment by January 10, 2024.
EMAIL ADDRESS: National_Register_Submissions@nps.gov
SUBJECT LINE: Public Comment on Church of the Epiphany (Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party MPS), Cook County, Illinois
SAMPLE MESSAGE OF SUPPORT: I support amending the Church of the Epiphany listing to add the significant history of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party.
Photo: Andrew Jameson
“The People’s Church,” 201 S. Ashland, was built in 1885 and became a landmark in 1998 on the National Register of Historic Places for its stunning Romanesque architecture. Its current period of significance is 1885-1887.
It is now the Epiphany Center for the Arts and a beautiful home to art, live music, weddings, and other events.
Owners David Chase and Kimberly Rachal Support Amendment
We are very pleased to have the support of founders and owners David Chase and his wife Kimberly Rachal.
Learn More About the History of the People’s Church
Reverend Rempfer Whitehouse
Under the leadership of Reverend Rempfer Whitehouse, the church addressed controversial issues and was very involved in the surrounding community. Examples include anti-draft meetings, feeding the homeless, and becoming a major meeting place for the Illinois Chapter.
Reverend Whitehouse led the church for 25 years and passed away in 2014.
Photos: (top left) Homeless men at the Church of the Epiphany, April 10, 1948, ST-17501042-E1, Chicago Sun-Times collection, Chicago History Museum
Speakers and audience at an anti-draft meeting, January 14, 1968, ST-15001631-0002, ST-15001631-0027, ST-15001631-0018 Chicago Sun-Times collection, Chicago History Museum
The Historical Preservation Society is seeking to expand the period of significance from 1885-1887 to include 1968-1974 and to add the social and ethnic history of the Party to the listing.
Photo: April 12, 1970, Duane Hall, ST-19030996-0016, Chicago Sun-Times collection, Chicago History Museum
April 12, 1970: Chicago public school students participate in a rally at the People’s Church organized by the Black Panther Party to protest racism in schools and the imprisonment of Bobby Seale after spending the afternoon at the Civic Center Plaza (Richard J. Daley Center).
Photos: (left) Illinois Deputy Chairman Fred Hampton at the People’s Church in 1969, screenshot from The Murder of Fred Hampton documentary.
(right) Photographer: Walter Kale, Chicago Tribune. On December 6, 1969, two days after Chairman Fred and Defense Captain Mark Clark were assassinated by the FBI and Chicago Police, the Illinois Chapter held a rally and press conference at the People’s Church.
Members of the Illinois Chapter listen to Deputy Chairman Fred Hampton at a meeting at the People’s Church in January 1969. Photo: Paul Sequeira/Getty Images
Illinois Deputy Chairman Fred Hampton at the People’s Church in 1969, screenshot from The Murder of Fred Hampton documentary.
On December 3, 1969, Illinois Chapter members came in from around the state, including Defense Captain Mark Clark from Peoria. Police repression was severe, the Party had been infiltrated and set up for multiple crimes, and Chairman Fred had to turn himself in.
During the trial for that old 1968 ice cream robbery that haunted him for the rest of his days, where a police officer pointed him out as the culprit who stole $71 worth of ice cream and then gave it to the children, the prosecution showed there was no limit to what they would do to lock him up when they flew the former ice cream truck driver into Chicago after plucking him out of the Vietnam War. Hampton denied the charge and was out on bond. With a guilty verdict, he now had to serve time.
At his last meeting, Hampton raised bail money for members arrested the night before. After the meeting, they needed to continue talking and went to the panther crib he rented at 2337 W. Monroe to decide their next moves. Should he turn himself in? Should he flee to Canada and then Cuba?
Because J. Edgar Hoover was of the opinion that a stint in jail would make Hampton a hero as it did Minister Huey, Hampton did not get a chance to flee. Instead, Hoover and Roy Mitchell of the FBI elected to drug and assassinate him on December 4, 1969, a few hours after his last meeting at the People’s Church.
Photo: John White, Chicago Sun-Times, ST-19020329-0022, Chicago Sun-Times collection, Chicago History Museum
After Chairman Fred and Defense Captain Mark Clark were assassinated by the FBI and Chicago Police, the Illinois Chapter held a rally and press conference at the People’s Church, disputing police claims that the Party opened fire on officers. Later investigations revealed that the FBI and Chicago police colluded to assassinate Fred Hampton to quell the Black Panther Party movement.
Omowale Babatunde
On August 1, 1970, Illinois Deputy Minister of Defense Bobby Rush and Chief of Staff David Hilliard spoke at the Church of the Epiphany following the death of Omowale Babatunde (a.k.a. Clifton Morgan).
Omowale was one of the ILBPP’s best organizers whose body was found on July 27, 1970, just outside of the city next to Illinois Central Railroad tracks. He had been in Downstate Illinois establishing the National Committee to Combat Fascism (N.C.C.F.) He was 26 years old.
The authorities said he had accidentally blown himself up either carrying or trying to detonate a bomb. Babatunde said the FBI had threatened him, and, in another incident, he was driving in his car with his pregnant wife when one of his tires came off.
Photo: Leila Wills, original speaker’s podium and church interior.
Email the National Park Service in Support of This Amendment
The National Park Service is soliciting electronic comments on the significance of the Black Panther Party’s history in relation to the Church of the Epiphany. We seek to add the Party’s history to the church’s listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
Please email your support of this amendment by January 10, 2024.
EMAIL ADDRESS: National_Register_Submissions@nps.gov
SUBJECT LINE: Public Comment on Church of the Epiphany (Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party MPS), Cook County, Illinois
SAMPLE MESSAGE OF SUPPORT: I support amending the Church of the Epiphany listing to add the significant history of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party.
Please email your support of this amendment by January 10, 2024.
Open House at The People’s Church
Epiphany Center for the Arts Owners David and Kimberly Rachal have invited us to have an open house for the Illinois Chapter and the Historical Preservation Society members.
We will plan the event after the listing is confirmed in January!
Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party Documentation Approved by National Park Service
Chicago (December 22, 2023)–This morning, an email announcement from the National Park Service listed its approval for a Thematic Listing for the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party.
Chicago (December 22, 2023)–This morning, an email announcement from the National Park Service listed its approval for a Thematic Listing for the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party.
The documentation, available at this link, successfully adds the historical context of the Black Panther Party to the Illinois record and sets the criteria for properties affiliated with the chapter to be added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The first property under the Thematic Listing is the Church of the Epiphany, affectionately called the People’s Church. The Church of the Epiphany was landmarked for its stunning architecture in 1998, and the Historical Preservation Society is seeking an amendment to add the ILBPP’s history to the listing.
A decision from the National Park Service on the Church of the Epiphany is expected next week.
HPS Executive Director Leila Wills: “Our Landmarking Committee could not have accomplished this without the Illinois Chapter. We thank them for their participation and involvement in this three-year process. We also thank Amy Hathaway from the Illinois State Historic Preservation Office for her dedication in helping us cross the finish line. She felt this was an important project and spent countless hours on our documentation. Lisa DiChiera (now retired) of Landmarks Illinois was the first to partner with us and was a powerful ally. The Illinois Historic Advisory Council enthusiastically passed our nomination unanimously, sending it to the National Park Service. We thank them for their passionate and encouraging words during the vote. ”
The Landmarking Committee of the Historical Preservation Society is Leila Wills, Mikey Spehn, and Adam Yunis. When they came on board, Mikey and Adam were Loyola University Public History students. Both have since graduated and are still actively involved in the process.
Please join us for an online Town Hall with WTTW on Monday, January 29, 2024, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. RSVP at this link.
Illinois Historic Sites Council Approves Black Panther Party Landmark Nominations
Springfield, IL, (October 27, 2023)–The Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council (IHSAC) unanimously approved the nomination to landmark the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party (ILBPP). This vote completes state requirements, and the multiple property document is now headed to the National Park Service (NPS).
Multiple Property Document Now Heads to Keeper of The National Register of Historic Places
Springfield, IL, (October 27, 2023)–The Illinois Historic Sites Advisory Council (IHSAC) unanimously approved the nomination to landmark the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party (ILBPP). This vote completes state requirements, and the multiple property document is now headed to the National Park Service (NPS).
Leila Wills co-founded the Historical Preservation Society of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party and leads its Landmarking Committee. She, Mikey Spehn, and Adam Yunis have been working on the nomination for three years. Amy Hathaway, Survey and National Register Specialist from the Illinois Preservation Office worked with Wills to ensure the nomination followed state guidelines. The NPS has 45 days to accept or reject the nomination. Once accepted, the historical record of the ILBPP will be added to the National Register of Historic Places as a Thematic Listing.
“We thank the members of the Illinois Chapter for working with us on this. For telling their stories, reading the document, and making needed corrections. We still have a few edits to make to the draft before it goes to the National Park Service,” said Wills. She sat down with Congressman Bobby Rush, Deputy Minister of Defense for the Illinois Chapter, Billy Brooks, Deputy Minister of Education, Wanda Ross, and over 20 other chapter members. “It has been a surreal experience and a dream come true. Their participation means the world to me.”
Epiphany Center for the Arts, formerly called “The People’s Church,” has been on the National Register since 1998 for its architectural significance. Today, IHSAC approved amending the Church of the Epiphany listing to include the Black Panther Party’s historical significance. One significant event is Illinois Deputy Chairman Fred Hampton’s last speech at the church on December 3, 1969, before he was assassinated hours later by the FBI and police in a Westside apartment. Peoria’s Defense Captain Mark Clark was also killed in the raid.
Phase Two of the Landmarking Initiative is a fundraising campaign to place historical markers at significant locations where the buildings have been demolished: Chapter Headquarters 2350 W. Madison St., Southside Office 4233 S. Indiana, and the Spurgeon Jake Winters People’s Free Medical Center 3850 W. 16th St.
Phase Two also includes amending existing listings on the National Register to add ILBPP history, such as the K-Town and Altgeld Gardens listings.
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Read ILBPP Multiple Property Document - https://dnrhistoric.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/dnrhistoric/documents/Update_Illinois%20Chapter%20of%20the%20Black%20Panther%20Party%20MPD%20reduced.pdf
Read Church of the Epiphany Amendment - https://dnrhistoric.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/dnrhistoric/documents/Chicago%20-%20People%27s%20Church%20NR%20Amendment.pdf