Judas and the Black Messiah is a biographical drama film about the betrayal of Fred Hampton (played by Daniel Kaluuya), chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party in late-1960s Chicago, by William O’Neal (played by Lakeith Stanfield). O’Neal is a career thief recruited by Special Agent Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons) to infiltrate the Illinois Black Panthers and track its charismatic leader, all part of the FBI’s efforts to destroy the Party and its efforts for racial justice that were seen as a threat to internal security.
The mark of a great film is when it stays with you long after the initial viewing, it gets under your skin, triggers deep resonant feelings and you want to know more. So, it was with watching Judas and the Black Messiah, which triggered so many memories, a reminder that history must not disappear from our lives.
While I am very familiar with the story of the Black Panther Party, having read Soul on Ice, Seize The Time: The Story of the Black Panther Party and Huey P. Newton, Huey Newton Speaks amongst others as a teenager growing up in Southampton in the UK in the early 1970s, I knew very little about Fred Hampton. Even though he died in 1969, his narrative had been written out of the popular Black Panther stories I read in 1973 and 1974.
In July 2019, when I was visiting my friend Monona Wali in Los Angeles, she took me to the Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power 1963 -1983 exhibition at The Broad Museum. Spread over several floors, the exhibition is a celebration of the dynamic contributions of Black artists during this pivotal period in American history. It was also a time when I was actively engaged with funding and promoting Black artists in the UK and when I met some of the most talented African American filmmakers of the era. In February 1982, I had organised a Festival of African American Independent Cinema at the Commonwealth Institute in London. It was at this exhibition that I saw Dana Chandler’s 1975 painting, Fred Hampton’s Door 2, complete with bullet holes to memorialise the young Black Panther leader. The vivid green door stayed with me and I went in search of the story of Fred Hampton.
So, when I watched Judas and the Black Messiah early this year, I was familiar with Fred Hampton’s tragic story. Daniel Kaluuya gives an outstanding performance as Chairman Fred Hampton but, it was William O’Neil, played by the young Lakeith Stanfield who caught my imagination. The depth of his “betrayal” from within is deep and profound. I found it shocking how this teenager (he was only 19 when he joined the Chicago, Illinois Black Panther chapter in 1968) with no political belief beyond self-preservation manages to work his way into the party, rises within the ranks, becoming a personal bodyguard to Hampton!
Researching William O’Neil, I came across the footage of his 1989 interview for the seminal PBS documentary series Eyes on the Prize. What I discovered was a man of contradictions, who both liked and admired Hampton but was also enamoured of the FBI. You can watch the full unedited interview footage of this interview HERE, courtesy of Washington University Libraries.
William O’Neil was recruited by Roy Mitchell from the FBI to go join the Black Panther Party and report back on the activities of this emerging local branch. This was the first time he met Chairman Fred Hampton. William had grown up in a middle-class neighbourhood. He was apolitical. He thought the Black Panther Party was just another gang. He grew up wanting to be a policeman because, in his community, this was the quickest way to earn respect. So, when he was recruited by the FBI, he felt good to be joining the best organisation in the country. The agent, Roy Mitchell, let him become a Black Panther before he became an FBI agent. He rose rapidly in the local organisation from the head of security to becoming Fred Hampton’s most trusted man, all within 16 months.
On 4th December 1969, when he saw Fred Hampton’s body riddled with bullets, he was shocked. Yes, he had given them the layout of his apartment, he had told them about the weapons stored in the apartment, but felt no remorse. He felt “betrayed” by the FBI for not warning him because he could have been in the building.
“I am not going to take responsibility for the raid. I didn’t pull the trigger. I didn’t issue the warrant,” he said in the interview. On joining the FBI, “my association with FBI made me a better person.” He had no allegiances to the Black Panthers. He had joined them at the instigation of the FBI.
Throughout the interview, he only has praise for Fred, who he had to know well as his bodyguard. “Fred was idealistic, dedicated to the struggle. Had he lived, he’d probably be a successful politician”. The slaying of Fred “was a loss to black people in general. He was a fine leader then, he would have made a better leader had he lived.”
Let us not forget Fred Hampton was just 21 years old when he was gunned down by Chicago Police, while William O’Neil was just 20 years old! Two men caught in the deceit of the bigger politics being played out in the USA. There is much we can learn from the short-lived lives of both black men.
Judas and the Black Messiah is an important, engaging and unforgettable film. It is a vital tool for cultural memory, helping us to understand the past while shedding light on the present. The film certainly gave me new insights into the events of the time and the present state of not just the USA, but across the world, as the Black Lives Matter movement has shown. In an interview with The Breakfast Club, Daniel Kaluuya shares his reflections on the relevance of Fred Hampton today and the intentions behind the film: “it’s about unity, bringing people together. Chairman Fred was this beacon. Anyone has the capacity to organise, mobilize, support their communities, decentralise empowerment, build solidarity. Real change is quiet! Movements cannot be destroyed.”
I hope watching Judas and the Black Messiah that you will also be inspired to dig deep into the African American history of struggle. How a young man became a powerful community organiser while his bodyguard, a paid FBI informer. Thank you Shaka King who is credited as the co-writer, director and producer; the co-producers Charles D. King of MACRO and Ryan Coogler and the amazing cast for bringing this timely, unforgettable story to the screen.
Judas and the Black Messiah has earned six nominations at the 93rd Academy Awards, with Stanfield and Kaluuya both being nominated for Best Supporting Actor. Kaluuya has already won the BAFTA award for Best Supporting Actor on April 11th 2021. Watch the trailer here and watch the film on HBO Max here.
About Parminder Vir OBE
Parminder Vir OBE has dedicated herself to positively impacting and transforming lives through a professional career spanning 40 years in philanthropy, entrepreneurship, film and television production, arts and culture, and investment funding. She is the co-founder of the Support4AfricaSMEs campaign and The African Farmers Stories, launched in 2020. She served as the CEO of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, based in Lagos, Nigeria from April 2014 to April 2019. Prior to joining the Foundation, Parminder has enjoyed a distinguished career as an awarding winning film and television producer and private equity investor in film and media.