Judi Hampton and Eyes on the Prize

Judi Hampton has lived in the Esplanade since 1998. For many of those years, you would see her walking with Louie, her faithful and spirited French poodle. As Louie got older, he was often pushed in his doggie cart by Judi until his death last year at the age of 17.  He is certainly missed by everyone who knew him.

Judi moved into the Esplanade from New York in 1998 to help her brother, Henry Hampton, who was dealing with cancer while managing Blackside, Inc. his award-winning company. Henry created and produced Eyes on the Prizethat tells the definitive story of the civil rights era. The film emphasizes ordinary men and women whose extraordinary actions launched a movement that changed the fabric of America. Winner of numerous Emmy Awards, a George Peabody Award, an International Documentary Award, and a Television Critics Association Award, Eyes on the Prizeis the most critically acclaimed documentary on the civil rights in America. It was originally released in 1987 and covers the years from 1954-1985. It is truly an extraordinary film that should be required viewing for everyone and especially so today to give a rich historical perspective to the Black Lives Matter movement.

After Henry’s death in November 1998, Judi, as President, took over the helm of Blackside, Inc. while also running her own successful professional development firm, JHPR, Judi Hampton Public Relations. Judi notes that taking over from her brother’s lead was a challenge but she was committed to see Eyes on the Prize not just survive but thrive and it has.

To that end, as busy as she was, in 2006, Judi spearheaded a successful fundraising campaign that raised over $1 million to clear rights for the series and make it available to the public and the educational community again. This resulted in the series being rebroadcast in 2006 and 2008 on public television, a national outreach program, and a new DVD set. This effort is an extension of Judi's lifelong commitment to efforts that benefit minority communities. And that commitment was put to the test when Judi in the mid-1960s traveled to Mississippi and worked for 2 years as a civil rights worker. Her labors and that of the others who traveled with her helped to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Through workshops and speeches, Judi uses the lessons of leadership in Eyes on the Prize to show audiences and participants how to inspire, motivate, and exemplify resilience as leaders. Presently Judi is working with a firm in Los Angeles to ‘retool’ Eyes on the Prizefor younger generations that have never seen it. The goal is to offer the new viewers a chance to understand history, to show the connection between the activism of the past and the activism of the present (Black Lives Matter) and to encourage them to vote.  Given Judi’s history, she will succeed with this!

Eyes on the Prize book and DVDs are available from Judi (jhamp76817@aol.com) or streaming on Facing History and Ourselves (www.facing history.org)