Luke LaManna

Then machine gun fire ripped across the front of the house. Windows shattered. Bullets sank into the drywall. The whole apartment shook with the impact. And at that moment, Deborah had the horrifying thought that she, Fred, and her baby might not make it out of this alive.

From Ballant Studios and Wondery, I'm Luke LaManna, and this is Redacted Declassified Mysteries, where each week we shine a light on the shadowy corners of espionage, covert operations, and misinformation to reveal the dark secrets our governments try to hide. This week's episode is called The Black Panther Plot.

From Ballant Studios and Wondery, I'm Luke LaManna, and this is Redacted Declassified Mysteries, where each week we shine a light on the shadowy corners of espionage, covert operations, and misinformation to reveal the dark secrets our governments try to hide. This week's episode is called The Black Panther Plot.

From 1956 to 1971, the US government sanctioned a covert operation called the Counterintelligence Program, or COINTELPRO. It was run by the FBI with the purpose of infiltrating and spying on any group that the government saw as radical or threatening. They hired informants who would join these groups and report on their movements.

From 1956 to 1971, the US government sanctioned a covert operation called the Counterintelligence Program, or COINTELPRO. It was run by the FBI with the purpose of infiltrating and spying on any group that the government saw as radical or threatening. They hired informants who would join these groups and report on their movements.

And while some of this undercover work helped to undermine hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan, the FBI also targeted groups such as the Communist Party, the American Indian Movement, and at the very top of the list, the Black Panthers. The Black Panther Party was an African-American revolutionary organization founded in Oakland, California in 1966.

And while some of this undercover work helped to undermine hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan, the FBI also targeted groups such as the Communist Party, the American Indian Movement, and at the very top of the list, the Black Panthers. The Black Panther Party was an African-American revolutionary organization founded in Oakland, California in 1966.

Originally formed to patrol black neighborhoods and protect them from police brutality, the party eventually turned into a socialist-leaning political group that believed black Americans should arm themselves as protection from the cops. They eagerly joined the fight for equality and social justice, often condemning the U.S. government.

Originally formed to patrol black neighborhoods and protect them from police brutality, the party eventually turned into a socialist-leaning political group that believed black Americans should arm themselves as protection from the cops. They eagerly joined the fight for equality and social justice, often condemning the U.S. government.

For longtime FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, the Black Panthers became almost an obsession. He saw them as violent and out of control, and his administration labeled them a black nationalist hate group. The FBI even adopted the motto, discredit, disrupt, and destroy. In the winter of 1968, 18-year-old Deborah Johnson sat in her living room with a college textbook in her lap.

For longtime FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, the Black Panthers became almost an obsession. He saw them as violent and out of control, and his administration labeled them a black nationalist hate group. The FBI even adopted the motto, discredit, disrupt, and destroy. In the winter of 1968, 18-year-old Deborah Johnson sat in her living room with a college textbook in her lap.

She yawned and glanced at the clock. It was after midnight, and she still had a few chapters to go. She turned the TV on to the Ronnie Barrett late night show for a little background noise to help her stay awake. Deborah half listened as she got back to her reading, until Ronnie announced his guest that night. a couple of high-ranking members of the Black Panther Party.

She yawned and glanced at the clock. It was after midnight, and she still had a few chapters to go. She turned the TV on to the Ronnie Barrett late night show for a little background noise to help her stay awake. Deborah half listened as she got back to her reading, until Ronnie announced his guest that night. a couple of high-ranking members of the Black Panther Party.

Debra looked up and watched as a couple guys in leather jackets and black berets took their seats next to Ronnie. One of them caught her eye. He was tall, handsome, and with a voice like a church preacher. He introduced himself as Fred Hampton, chairman of the Chicago chapter. He looked young, not much older than herself, but he spoke with the authority of someone twice his age.

Debra looked up and watched as a couple guys in leather jackets and black berets took their seats next to Ronnie. One of them caught her eye. He was tall, handsome, and with a voice like a church preacher. He introduced himself as Fred Hampton, chairman of the Chicago chapter. He looked young, not much older than herself, but he spoke with the authority of someone twice his age.

Fred started talking about the free meals program that the Panthers ran for kids in Chicago. He said it wasn't rocket science that kids who didn't get anything to eat weren't able to learn, and that education was the key to interrupting cycles of oppression. Deborah felt immediately drawn to Fred, to his personality, his mission, his charisma.

Fred started talking about the free meals program that the Panthers ran for kids in Chicago. He said it wasn't rocket science that kids who didn't get anything to eat weren't able to learn, and that education was the key to interrupting cycles of oppression. Deborah felt immediately drawn to Fred, to his personality, his mission, his charisma.

A strange feeling came over her, like she was staring at her future. She knew that someday their paths would cross. A few months later, Deborah walked down one of the gravel pathways at Wright City College in Chicago, where she was a freshman. She passed a notice board where students usually advertised open mic nights or babysitting jobs. But today, a flyer caught her eye.

A strange feeling came over her, like she was staring at her future. She knew that someday their paths would cross. A few months later, Deborah walked down one of the gravel pathways at Wright City College in Chicago, where she was a freshman. She passed a notice board where students usually advertised open mic nights or babysitting jobs. But today, a flyer caught her eye.

Her school was bringing Fred Hampton and other Black Panthers to give a talk on campus. Deborah's heart skipped a beat. This was how she was going to meet Fred. Later, she told her friends at the Black Student Union about the talk. But to her surprise, some didn't want to go. They said they were busy with schoolwork, but others were more honest. The Black Panthers could mean trouble.