The horrific death of Fred Hampton in Chicago 45 years ago summed up the hostile racial climate in America at that time.

A promising leader of the Black Panther Party, he was gunned down by police in an attack allegedly organised by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Just 21 years old when he died, Hampton is largely forgotten, but he remains a hero to students of black history, including singer Autarchii, who hails his work in Blood Ago Run, his latest song.

Produced by Jouke Yspeerd of The Netherlands, and distributed by Tuff Gong International, the track also salutes other black visionaries such as Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I and Marcus Garvey.

In Blood Ago Run, Autarchii takes shots at European tyrants like King Leopold of Belgium and Benito Mussolini of Italy, who are reportedly responsible for some of the most bloody incidents against native people in Africa.

“The names listed in the song comprise revolutionaries who stood for a just cause and fascist colonisers to show the contrast. The message behind Blood Ago Run is that immoral acts of oppression will never win. Hence, it calls for the oppressed to stand up against the oppressor,” said Autarchii, who was introduced to Hampton while reading about the civil rights movement in the United States.

The roots singer believes more should be done to teach black youth about the American firebrand whose achievements were significant despite dying at such a young age.

“Heroes like Fred Hampton are unsung, not taught to black youths to keep them ignorant,” said Autarchii, who was raised in Christian Pen, St Catherine, and attended Kingston College.

He launched his recording career 10 years ago.

His EP, Disrupting The Status Quo, was released in 2022.