The historical drama "Judas and the Black Messiah," now in theaters and set to stream on HBO Max, tells the story of Black Panther Fred Hampton, who was targeted by the FBI and murdered at the age of 21 in 1969. Multi-talented comedians and writers Kenny Lucas and Keith Lucas, the co-writers and co-producers of the film, explain why they have been working to bring Hampton's story to the big screen since they learned about him in college.

"You hear a lot about the death, but you don't really hear about how he lived," Keith Lucas said about Hampton. "At a young age he was organizing. He brought people together. He was a pivotal force in the NAACP before he transitioned into the Black Panthers."

For Kenny Lucas, Hampton's story and the role of the FBI informant William O'Neal sets the stage for a deeper conversation about the African American experience then and now. "We felt like he was such a pivotal historical figure during a transition from the civil rights movement to mass incarceration," he said.