Source: Audio recording; pamphlet titled “Fred Hampton 20th Commemoration” by The December 4th Committee
Transcription/Markup: 2020 by Philip Mooney
Public Domain: Marxist Internet Archive 2020. This work is completely free.
I want you to know that I want you to think. If you ever think about me and if you think about me niggers and if you ain’t gonna do no revolutionary act, forget about me. I don’t want myself on your mind if you’re not going to work for the people.
Like we always said, if you’re asked to make a commitment at the age of 20 and you say, I don’t want to make a commitment only because of the simple reason that I’m too young to die, I want to live a little bit longer. What you did is... you’re dead already.
You have to understand that people have to pay the price for peace. If you dare to struggle, you dare to win. If you dare not struggle then goddamnit you don’t deserve to win. Let me say peace to you if you’re willing to fight for it.
Let me say in the spirit of liberation—I’ve been gone for a little while, at least my body’s been gone for a little while. But I’m back now and I believe that I’m back to stay.
I believe that I’m going to do my job and I believe that I was born not to die in a car wreck; I don’t believe that I’m going to die in a car wreck. I don’t believe I’m going to die slipping on a piece of ice; I don’t believe I’m going to die because I got a bad heart; I don’t believe I’m going to die because of lung cancer.
I believe that I’m going to be able to die doing the things I was born for. I believe that I’m going be able to die high off the people. I believe that I will be able to die as a revolutionary in the international revolutionary proletarian struggle. And I hope that each one of you will be able to die in the international proletarian revolutionary struggle or you’ll be able to live in it. And I think that struggle’s going to come.
Why don’t you live for the people?
Why don’t you struggle for the people?
Why don’t you die for the people?