![]() So, how much did he get paid for his services? ”If you ask me if I am a happy man, I will tell you that I am not happy in fact, I am not even content.” See also How White Mob Massacred 400 Blacks In Slocum, Texas And Took Over Their Properties In 1910 ”If I look back at myself, I believe I would be in jail or dead if I had never met Mitchell,” he says. He admitted that his undercover job made him “restless, yet without sorrow.” ”If you ask me if the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, I believe they do.” O’Neal rarely spoke about his undercover years, but he did say in a 1984 interview with the Tribune, one of his last public appearances, that he “thrived” in his work with law enforcement, even if he eventually recognized he was “only a piece in a very big game.” In 1990, O’Neal’s uncle, Ben Heard, said, “He felt the FBI was merely going to raid the house.” When word of O’Neal’s FBI activity spread, he went under the identity of William Hart and entered the federal witness protection program. “I believe he felt remorseful for what he had done. He finally provided the floor layout of Hampton’s west-side residence, which was utilized to plan the raid that killed Hampton and his Panther colleague. Unbeknownst to Panther leaders, William O’Neal was also working as an FBI informant, giving the bureau crucial intelligence. According to reports, he became Hampton’s security chief and had access to Panther headquarters and safe houses. ![]() ![]() O’Neal decided to infiltrate the party, and after being admitted, he became the group’s security head. The Panther Party was known at the time for displaying guns, fighting police brutality, and providing for the black community. Mitchell informed him in his teens that if he agreed to work for the FBI and infiltrate the Panthers, he could forget about the stolen car accusation. In 1966, he was tracked down by FBI Agent Roy Martin Mitchell after stealing a car and driving it across state borders to Michigan. However, before his death, the mysterious O’Neal, who could play any part the FBI required, appeared to declare he had no option but to accept such assignments. See also How Three White Men Shot and Killed Black Teen Jo Etha Collier on Her Graduation-Night In 1971 Students of the time feel Hampton could have risen further in national fame from his home state of Illinois if he hadn’t been assassinated largely thanks to William O’Neal. Hampton led the Illinois chapter of the Panthers when Stokely Carmichael’s Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) broke from the Panthers in 1969. Hampton’s charisma, leadership abilities, and brilliance began to shine for the Black Panthers. He was also a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) during the time, serving as the youth leader of the Chicago branch’s West Suburban chapter. The Illinois chapter of the party was founded in 1967, and Hampton, then 20 years old, became a member in 1968. ![]() Huey Newton and fellow student Bobby Seale founded the party, which advocated for a Black Nationalist response to racial injustice. As a result, Hampton found a natural home with the Black Panther Party. In places with a large black population, access to social goods was also made difficult, if not impossible. Interview with William O’Neal from Washington University Libraries on Vimeo.įor a more in-depth article on Fred Hampton and William O’neal, check out “ The History of Judas and the Black Messiah” from Smithsonian Magazine.The police in Illinois, where Fred Hampton was born to Louisiana-born parents, were regularly harassing people who looked like him. “Later that evening, William O’Neal committed suicide.” White words on a black screen state: “‘Eyes On The Prize 2’ premiered on PBS January 15th, 1990, Martin Luther King Day.” Um… I think I’ll let history speak for me. And then I had the courage to get out there and put it on the line, and I did. One of those people that wanna sit back now and judge the actions or inactions of people when they sit back on the sideline and did nothing. I wasn’t one of those armchair revolutionaries. I don’t know what I’d tell him, other than… I was part of the struggle. I think I’ll let your documentary put a cap on that story. The film ends with an actual clip of the interview. The movie revolves around Fred Hampton, Chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panthers, and William O’Neal, an FBI informant and member of the Black Panthers.ĭuring the movie, there are recreations of William O’Neal’s interview from Eyes on the Prize 2. If you haven’t watched Judas and the Black Messiah, I highly recommend the movie.
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