Preamble Remixed, 2022

I imagined if the late Chairman of the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party, Fred Hampton re-wrote the US Constitution starting with the preamble. I envisioned him writing it the way Curtis Mayfield sang with all the sincerity, richness, commitment, and honesty. Particularly the song “We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue” which came out the following year (1970) after Fred Hampton’s assassination.

After producing this work a few thoughts which speak to Fred Hampton’s legacy came to mind.

Before PE’s rebel without a pause, there was Fred.
Before Wu-Tang, Fred was for the kids.
Before the internet, Fred was connecting oppressed and disenfranchised brown, yellow, red, and white communities while never wavering from his commitment to freedom specifically for Black Americans (descendants of US slavery).