In march 1977 assata shakur was convicted of murdering state trooper werner forrester, although medical experts testified that her injuries would have rendered her incapable of firing. They suspected her and a few other activists of murdering a state trooper. Ash sarkar, senior editor at novara media, discusses assata, the autobiography of assata shakur, and how it has inspired and informed her on a personal and political level. We do not agree with all of her politics but reproduce this text for reference. Assata shakur books list of books by author assata shakur. Her heroism continues to inspire a new generation of freedom fighters. Assata shakur becomes first woman to be on fbis most wanted terrorist list.
Assata shakur on capitalism, socialism and anticommunism. On the 40th anniversary of the coldblooded murder of a new jersey state trooper, the fugitive convicted of the killing, joanne. In 1973, the black liberation party member killed a new jersey state trooper during a shootout. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Assata explains in her own words what happened and why she currently has political asylum in cuba.
Edgar hoovers campaign to defame, infiltrate, and criminalize black nationalist. While the book was first published in 1988, this guide references the 2014 edition of the autobiography, which features a foreword written by angela davis and lennox hill. She was a member of the black panther party and the black liberation army. Assata olugbala shakur born 16 july 1947 is an africanamerican activist and criminal. There will be a launch event for the book at the black cultural archives, in brixton, london on august.
Assata spent six and a half years in prison under brutal circumstances before escaping out of the maximum security wing of the clinton correctional facility for women in new jersey in. Tupacs parents afeni and billy were active members of the black panther party. Subsequent comments should be made on the articles talk page or in wikipedia talk. See all books authored by assata shakur, including assata. Assata was a stepaunt and godmother to late hiphop icon tupac shakur, the stepson of her brother mutulu shakur. An autobiography 2 by assata shakur, angela davis, lennox s. In many ways, the book complements the autobiography of malcolm x, offering a black female perspective on american society of the 20th. Already wanted for bank robbery, assata shakur escaped from prison and fled to cuba. Assata olugbala shakur aka joanne chesimard was born on july 16, 1947, in jamaica queens new york city, ny. It doesnt take much time to say, but the context of connection between the revolutionary days before my time and assaat now of tanks in ferguson and parallels between the berlin wall and the palestineisrael barriers is invaluable.
Assata, is an autobiography that travels at a fast pace and its hard to put down because you will truly anticipate the conclusion. Oct 14, 2016 ash sarkar, senior editor at novara media, discusses assata, the autobiography of assata shakur, and how it has inspired and informed her on a personal and political level. Assata shakur has been living in cuba since 1986, after escaping from prison where she was serving a life sentence imposed in a highly disputed trial. Assata olugbala shakur nascida joanne deborah byron. I did find it odd that, after all this great material, that shakur went back and emphasized how the revolutionary struggle must be scientific in order to avoid emotional compromise, in other words emphasizing the very objectivity preached by every tendril of the patriarchy. Download pdf flyer assata shakur on capitalism, socialism and anticommunism. This black activists memoir is like a freeze frame of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The following is an archived discussion of a featured article nomination. She was the first woman to be put on the fbis most wanted terrorists list. Joanne chesimard is not receiving a fair jury jury selection is currently in progress in middlesex county new jersey for joanne chesimard aka assata shakur. Shortly after her birth, her mother and father divorced. Now im quite upset that i didnt know about her sooner or that i hadnt read her story when i was younger.
In the early 70s, black panther freedom rider assata shakur chronicles her life from the moment where she is brutally beaten by police off the new jersey turnpike. This book is an autobiography of assata shakur, a black revolutionary who is now living in cuba where she has political. Colorlines is a daily news site where race matters, featuring awardwinning indepth reporting. Assata shakur is a 1 time bestselling author we have a duty to fight for our freedom.
There will be a launch event for the book at the black cultural archives, in. An autobiography, by assata shakur is available now from zed books, priced. Cointelpro the fbis covert program to destroy the black panther party part 1 the fbis covert program to destroy the black panther party part 2. Former black panther assata shakur may be adversely affected by the recent death of cubas former leader fidel castro. She was put into prison, but in 1984 she managed to escape. I wasnt against communism, but i cant say i was for it either. Shakur once known as joanne chesimard was a member of the black liberation army convicted in the 1973 killing of a new jersey state trooper. I had never heard of assata shakur until i saw her named mentioned in another book i was reading. Joanne chesimard first woman named to most wanted terrorists list. On may 2 1973, black panther activist assata shakur fsn joanne chesimard, was pulled over by the new jersey state police, shot twice and then charged with murder of a police officer.
Patriot act violation of civil liberities the governments terrorist is our communitys heroine by mos def. Trump talks cuba, but all i heard was assata shakur and. Nov 01, 2001 assata shakur author, angela davis foreword 4. Tupacs parents afeni and billy were active members of. Shakur was the target of the fbis cointelpro directed towards black liberation groups and activists. An autobiography by black revolutionary socialist assata shakur. Assata shakur s imprisonment and what many of her supporters believed was a false arrest brought international attention to her plight as a political prisoner. Joanne deborah chesimard act of terrorism domestic terrorism. The life story of africanamerican revolutionary shakur, previously known as joanne chesimard. Apr 10, 2007 matthew goldstein, the chancellor, called the designation of the room as the guillermo moralesassata shakur community and student center unauthorized and inappropriate.
Pdf ebook of the autobiography of black revolutionary, assata shakur. On may 2, 1973, just after midnight, shakur, at that time a member of the black liberation army and no longer a member of the black panther party, along with zayd malik shakur born james f coston and sundiata acoli born clark squire, was stopped on the new jersey turnpike in east brunswick by state trooper james harper and backed up by. Cuba refuses to extradite assata shakur liberation news. On may 2, 20, the fbi added the first woman in history to the disreputable ranks of the mostwanted terrorist list. Shakur is wanted in new jersey for the 1973 murder of a new jersey state trooper. Assata shakurs imprisonment and what many of her supporters believed was a false arrest brought international attention to her plight as a political prisoner. Assata shakur was born on july 14, in new york city, new york, usa as joanne deborah byron. On may 2, 1973, black panther assata shakur aka joanne chesimard lay in a hospital, close to death, handcuffed to her bed, while local, state, and federal police attempted to question her about the shootout on the new jersey turnpike that had claimed the life of a white state trooper. Assata olugbala shakur is a former member of the black liberation army, convicted of the firstdegree murder of state trooper werner foerster during a shootout on the new jersey turnpike in 1973. An autobiography by assata shakur, paperback barnes. Young shakur lived with her mother, her aunt, and her grandmother and grandfather in jamaica, new york. July 16, 1947, sometimes referred to by her married surname chesimard is a former member of the black liberation army bla, who was convicted of the firstdegree murder of state trooper werner foerster during a shootout on the new jersey turnpike in 1973.
Though the polemical rhetoric is dated, the book is an otherwise compelling tale of the impact of white racism on a sensitive and powerful young. Dec 24, 2014 assata shakur, who was a leading member of the black panther party and the black liberation army, was one of many black revolutionaries of the 60s to come under fire from cointelpro. Assata shakur becomes first woman to be on fbis most wanted terrorist list shakur is wanted in new jersey for the 1973 murder of a new jersey state trooper. In to my people, shakur criticizes the unjust actions and prejudices held against black people in their society at the time. Email us your official website or let us host your primary web presence. Apr 17, 2015 assata was a stepaunt and godmother to late hiphop icon tupac shakur, the stepson of her brother mutulu shakur. Between 1971 and 1973, shakur was accused of several crimes, none of which had sufficient evidence to back them. Assata shakur, joanne byron, barbara odoms, joanne chesterman. Assata lived a very interesting life, much different than the majority of us, and she told her story in an uncomplicated and intriguing manner.
An autobiography traces events from assata shakur s early childhood to her political refugee status in cuba. Nov 26, 2016 former black panther assata shakur may be adversely affected by the recent death of cubas former leader fidel castro. Her birth name is joanne deborah byron and married name was joanne chesimard. It is the story of assata shakur, nee joanne chesimard, the sixty year old. Joanne chesimard has created one of the highest amount of community prejudice. Born in flushing, she grew up in new york city and wilmington, north carolina.
An autobiography by assata shakur the long version is described here, powerfully and convincingly. Assata olugbala shakur is an black civil rights activist who was a member of the black panther party bpp and black liberation army bla. Picking up her autobiography, first published in 1988, for the first time in nearly 20 years, i was struck by an odd sense that her brave and powerful account of the black power movement in the 1960s and 1970s feels almost more relevant than when i first read it. The book opens with a gruesome, bloody, detailed account of the assault. However, assata shakur, known to her haters by her married name, joanne chesimard, lived a graphic tale that began well before the 1987 classic song by p. Assata shakur, an autobiography digitalized by revsocialist for socialiststories. Assata shakur, who was a leading member of the black panther party and the black liberation army, was one of many black revolutionaries of the 60s to come under fire from cointelpro. Tupac shakur was embroiled in a feud between east coast and west coast rappers and was murdered in a driveby shooting in 1996, leaving behind an. Joanne deborah chesimard assata shakur joins eight suspected islamic terrorists and one member of an animal rights group wanted for the bombing of a biotechnology corporation. Shakur, the black revolutionary fugitive residing in cuba, was elevated to the fbis most wanted list in 20. The enormous and massive pretrial publicity which has been attendant to the state of new jersey v. A poignant exploration of assata shakurs journey from girlhood through adulthood, serving also as a chronicle of the black power movement and the evolution of u. Originally published in the january 2016 issue of liberation newspaper. Assata shakur, a former black panther and member of the black liberation army, wrote her speech in the 70s and it continues to apply to our modern day minorities.
Last night i attended a private screening of assata, a 93 minute docudrama written and directed by my old friend fred baker. Joanne chesimard, also known as assata shakur, is the first woman on the fbis most wanted terrorist list. On may 2 2005, the xxth anniversary of assatas escape, the u. Despite the obvious shoestring budget, the film has more impact that the average hollywood blockbuster costing times more. On may 2, 20, the federal bureau of investigation suddenly announced that it had placed assata shakur on its most wanted terrorists list, making her the first woman to be so designated. Assata shakur simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Assata shakur, author info, published books, bio, photo. The book assata gives great insight into the role that women played in the black panther party and contrary to popular belief the women did not take the back seat. By making the black panther party one of its primary targets, cointelpro, the counter intelligence program, was one of many manifestations of how this racist. This was a brilliant autobiography about an amazing and resilient woman. Attorney general, and the new jersey state police raised the reward read.
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