Bobby James Hutton, or "Lil' Bobby," (April 21, 1950 – April 6, 1968) was the treasurer and first recruit to join the
Black Panther PartyThe Black Panther Party wasan African-American revolutionary leftist organization. It was active in the United States from 1966 until 1982....
. He was born in
Pine Bluff, ArkansasPine Bluff is the largest city and county seat of Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the principal city of the Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas Combined Statistical Area...
in 1950. When he was three years old his family moved to California after they were visited by nightriders intimidating and threatening blacks in the area. He joined soon after the conception of the BPP in 1966 at the age of 16.
Death
On the night of April 6, 1968, Bobby was killed by
Oakland PoliceThe Oakland Police Department is the law enforcement agency responsible for the city of Oakland, California.-Ranking structure:-Officers killed in the line of duty:...
officers after a botched ambush attempt on the Oakland Police by
Eldridge CleaverLeroy Eldridge Cleaver better known as Eldridge Cleaver, was a leading member of the Black Panther Party and a writer...
and fourteen other Panthers. The impetus for the police ambush was the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. According to the Black Panthers, police shot him more than a dozen times after he had surrendered and had stripped down to his underwear to prove that he was unarmed. The police said that Hutton and Cleaver were holed up at 1218 28th Street and were armed with two 9mm automatic pistols, two AR-15 and one M-14 military type automatic rifles and a large supply of ammunition, some of it armor piercing.
It is estimated that over 2,000 people attended his funeral which was held at the Ephesians Church of God in Berkeley, California.
Legacy
De Fremery Park in
West Oakland, CaliforniaWest Oakland is a neighborhood situated in the northwestern corner of Oakland, California along the waterfront near the Port of Oakland and San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge. It lies at an elevation of 13 feet .-History:...
, has been unofficially named after him.
The 1968 album "Together", by
Country Joe and the FishCountry Joe and the Fish was a rock band most widely known for musical protests against the Vietnam War, from 1966 to 1971, and also regarded as a seminal influence to psychedelic rock.-History:...
, was dedicated to Hutton.
He is mentioned by
Tupac ShakurTupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
in the song "
Ghetto Gospel"Ghetto Gospel" is a song by rapper Tupac Shakur, which was originally released as the second single on his posthumous 2004 album Loyal to the Game...
", the
Smif-N-WessunSmif-n-Wessun is a hip hop duo consisting of members Tek and Steele . Smif-n-Wessun comprise two-fifths of the Brownsville, Brooklyn supergroup Boot Camp Clik, with Buckshot, Heltah Skeltah and O.G.C...
song "Still Fighting," the Bhi Bhiman song "Up in Arms", "Get Up" by
The CoupThe Coup is a political hip hop group based in Oakland, California. It formed as a three-member group in 1992 with emcees Raymond "Boots" Riley and E-Roc along with DJ Pam the Funkstress. E-Roc left on amicable terms after the group's second album but appears on the track "Breathing Apparatus" on...
and
Dead PrezDead Prez stylized as dead prez is a hip hop duo from the United States, composed of stic.man and M-1, formed in 1996 in New York City, New York. They are known for their confrontational style, combined with socialist lyrics focused on both militant social justice and Pan-Africanism...
as well as the Dead Prez song "RGB Till' I Die" and in
Bishop LamontPhilip Martin , better known as Bishop Lamont is an American rapper from Carson, California. He was signed to Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment record label but left in 2010.-Biography:...
's "Land of the Free"
He appears on the cover of the
Primal ScreamPrimal Scream are a Scottish alternative rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie and Jim Beattie and now based in London. The current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes , Martin Duffy , and Darrin Mooney...
single "Star".
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