Mark Clark, 22, a native Peorian, was a downstate organizer for the Black Panther Party (BPP) and founder of the BPP Peoria Chapter. He was killed in Chicago on December 4, 1969 during a police raid at the residence of Fred Hampton, Chairman of the Illinois BPP Chapter. Mark served as Defense Captain for Hampton who had been targeted for assassination by the FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. The FBI engaged in a campaign to destroy Black nationalist organizations and high profile leaders in an effort to “suppress the rise of a Black Messiah” which was the focus of the infamous COINTELPRO Plan. Fred Hampton and Mark Clark were among other Black leaders (i.e., MLK, Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, etc.) whose assassinations are associated with the FBI/COINTELPRO Plan. The FBI ordered the extra-judicial assassinations of Clark and Hampton; the assassins were the 14-man police squad assigned to the Illinois States Attorney.
December 4, 2019 will be the 50th year since BPP Defense Captain Mark Clark was killed. The brevity of his life and tragedy of his death are painful reminders of the injustices our people have suffered in our quest for freedom. Indeed, “If the penalty for freedom is death, by death (Mark) escaped to freedom” (H. Newton). We celebrate Mark’s freedom as we kick off the 50 Year Commemorative Tribute on his birthday weekend. Please join us as we commemorate a historical milestone.
MARK CLARK 50th COMMEMORATIVE TRIBUTE
SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 2019
TIME: 5:00 PM UNTIL 8:00PM
VENUE: THE KING’S HOUSE, 1917 N WISCONSIN, Peoria, Illinois 61603
SPEAKER: Pastor Marvin Hightower, NAACP President, Peoria Branch
$50 per person/general admission – Group rates available
The Mark Clark Memorial Committee is soliciting sponsors and ads for exhibit in the 50th Commemorative Program & Banquet Souvenir Booklet. All ads will appear in a standard size (8 ½ X 11) publication. For more information, contact:
Elner Clark (309) 404-7474 Gloria Clark (309) 397-3402
marksister50@gmail.com remembermark@gmail,com
The Traveler Weekly 