Judas And The Black Messiah Film Clips Can't Murder Freedom

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The late 1960s was one of the most tumultuous and pivotal periods in American history. A nation rife with political and social unrest was besieged by explosive demonstrations against the prevailing social and gender norms, the Vietnam war and racial injustice. Black communities across the country, tired of facing racial disparities in health care, housing, education and employment—all outgrowths of systemic inequality—had finally had enough.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Director, J. Edgar Hoover, having established COINTELPRO— a counterintelligence program designed to quash dissenting domestic political voices and organizations through surveillance, infiltration, discrediting campaigns and disruption—turned their sights on the Black community to neutralize the archetype Hoover coined “Black Messiahs.” He was referring to rising Black and Civil Rights leaders and, in 1967, Hoover opened a file on a Black midwestern college student named Fred Hampton, whose community activism had brought him to the attention of the agency.
Hampton, who became the chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party (BPP) in 1968, led the organization’s fight for freedom, for the power of self-determination, and for an end to police brutality and the slaughter of Black people. The bureau promptly placed Hampton on its “Rabble- Rouser” or “Agitator” index, identifying him as a key militant leader who posed a danger to National Security. Simultaneously, the FBI planted an informant, William O’Neal, into the ranks of the BPP to track Hampton’s messaging and movements from the inside.
In 1969, Chairman Fred Hampton was assassinated by the FBI in the early hours of December 4. He was 21. On January 15, 1990, William O’Neal took his own life on the same day that the documentary series “Eyes on the Prize 2” premiered, which featured the only on-camera interview O’Neal ever gave about his involvement with Hampton and the Panthers. He was 40.
Over his two years in the BPP, Hampton’s impact on the Panthers and the community at large catapulted the Party to the forefront of national and international consciousness. While knowledge of Hampton’s murder at the hands of the U.S. government scarcely warrants a mention in the classroom,
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the legacy of Hampton’s message has nevertheless been an unrelenting inspiration to the Black Power Movement for over 50 years.
Inspired by true events, “Judas and the Black Messiah” is directed by Shaka King, marking his studio feature film directorial debut. The project originated with King and his writing partner, Will Berson, who co-wrote the screenplay, and Kenny Lucas & Keith Lucas, who co-wrote the story with Berson & King. King, who has a long relationship with filmmaker Ryan Coogler (“Fruitvale Station”), pitched the film to Coogler and Charles D. King (“Just Mercy,” “Fences”), who are producing the film with Shaka King. The executive producers are Sev Ohanian, Zinzi Coogler, Kim Roth, Poppy Hanks, Ravi Mehta, Jeff Skoll, Anikah McLaren, Aaron L. Gilbert, Jason Cloth, Ted Gidlow and Niija Kuykendall.
“Judas and the Black Messiah” stars Oscar nominee Daniel Kaluuya (“Get Out,” “Widows,” “Black Panther”) as Fred Hampton and LaKeith Stanfield (TV’s “Atlanta,” “Sorry to Bother You”) as William O’Neal. The film also stars Jesse Plemons (“Bridge of Spies,” “Game Night,” “The Post”), Dominique Fishback (“The Hate U Give,” HBO’s “The Deuce”), Ashton Sanders (“American Son,” “Moonlight”) and Martin Sheen (“The Departed,” TV’s “The West Wing,” TV’s “Grace & Frankie”).
The ensemble cast also includes Algee Smith (“The Hate U Give,” “Detroit”), Darrell Britt-Gibson (“Just Mercy,” “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”), Dominique Thorne (“If Beale Street Could Talk”), Amari Cheatom (“Roman J. Israel, Esq.,” “Django Unchained”), Caleb Eberhardt (“The Post”) and Lil Rel Howery (“Get Out”).