Robert Hillary King

Robert Hillary King
Robert Hillary King at the Left Forum New York City, 2009

Robert Hillary King (born May 30, 1942), also known as Robert King Wilkerson, is a former member of the Black Panther Party who spent 32 years in Angola Prison, Louisiana – 29 of them in solitary confinement.

King and the two co-founders of the Angola chapter of the Black Panther Party (Albert Woodfox and Herman Wallace) comprise what is also named the Angola 3. He claims that he was innocent.

King first entered Angola at the age of 18 as the result of an armed robbery conviction. In his book, From the Bottom of the Heap: The Autobiography of Robert Hillary King, King admits to some non-violent burglaries in the period prior to this conviction but maintains his innocence with regard to that particular offense and goes further by denying any culpability in any later convictions. Granted parole in 1965, at the age of 22, he returned to New Orleans, got married, and began a brief semi-pro boxing career nicknamed “Speedy King”. Several weeks prior to the birth of his son, by wife Clara, King was arrested along with one of his acquaintances on charges of robbery. After being held in jail for over 11 months, King's acquaintance – a man called "Boogie" – accepted a plea bargain and was released on time served. Simultaneously, the District Attorney dropped the charges against King — but he was not released because he had been arrested with an admitted felon, which was deemed a parole violation. King was sent back to Angola prison where he served 15 months and was released again in January 1969.

Upon his release, King was again arrested on robbery charges, and was convicted, even though his co-defendant testified that he had only picked King out of a mug shot lineup after being tortured by police into making a false statement. King appealed, and while being held at Orleans Parish Prison, he escaped, but was re-captured weeks later. Upon returning to Orleans Parish he met some of the New Orleans 12—BPP members arrested after a confrontation with police at a housing project. He was radicalized and worked with the Panthers, organizing and participating in non-violent hunger strikes.