Her real name, known by many is joanne deborah byron, who after she came to life, her parents divorced. In 20 assata shakur, founding member of the black liberation army, former black panther and godmother of tupac shakur, became the first ever woman to. Assata book synopsys assata shakur born july 16, 1947 was a leader in the black liberation movement in the united states. Shortly after her birth, her mother and father divorced. Assata has just been shot and the police are undecided as to whether they should put her in an ambulance or kill her, because she is both black and a member of the black liberation army and a former member of the black panther party. Assata was a black panther then a black liberation army bla leader in the early 70s, so she was. Assata shakur books list of books by author assata shakur. The book tells the often shocking, yet inspiring, story of assatas life up to her arrest and eventual escape to cuba. The song details some of the events described in the book. Her brief autobiography is propagandistic and notable for its omissions, but there are passages of poignant, effective writing. Anyone can be misled to understand everything that the author was out to portray in the novel. Why does black lives matter consider assata shakur a hero.
In 20 assata shakur, founding member of the black liberation army, former black panther and godmother of tupac shakur, became the first ever woman to make the fbis most wanted terrorist list. 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. There was a time during the 70s when lawenforcement officials considered shakur. Why feminists should care about the fbis hunt for assata shakur. Assata olugbala shakur birth name joanee deborah byron, married name joanne chesimard was born on july 14, 1947. Assata, page 207 thirtyfour years ago this november 2, in 1980, black revolutionary assata shakur escaped from the clinton correctional facility for women in new jersey, with the help of comrades wielding. An autobiography by assata shakur in the aftermath of events in ferguson, missouri, a newly released edition of a key text of the black liberation canon, assata. Join facebook to connect with assata shakur and others you may know. 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. Oct 10, 2017 from my reply to one of the answers below.
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. Assata and her supporters are the ones with so much anger towards the us and a lack of empathy, and her supporters which sounds like you continue to ignore that assata was an admitted terrorist rega. Assata shakur was a member of the black panther party who went underground to evade police repression, joining the black liberation army. Consequently, shakur lived with her mother, her aunt, and her grandmother and grandfather lula and frank hill, in jamaica, new york. The life story of africanamerican revolutionary shakur, previously known as joanne chesimard. She grew up in new york city and attended manhattan community college, where she was involved in many. The fbi recently made joanne chesimard the first woman on its list of most wanted terrorists. Her name at birth was joanne deborah byron chesimard, although she changed it to avoid using what she considered to be a slave name.
The revolutionary black liberation army of the 1970s rose out of the ashes of the black panther party to free black people in the united states. An autobiography is a 1988 autobiographical book by assata shakur. There was a time during the 70s when lawenforcement officials considered shakur the soul of the black. An autobiography by assata shakur, paperback barnes. May 14, 2011 common gets a bad rap on assata shakur jonathan farley. I have heard about angela davis and other members of the black panther party as well as the parties contributions to the communities they organized. The former black panther, dubiously convicted cop killer, and wanted terrorist fugitive has become a recognized emblem in the movement, even though assata herself. But the crimes she was convicted of happened 40 years ago. But this was my first time hearing of her and i am so glad i read this book. This black activists memoir is like a freeze frame of the late 1960s and early 1970s. An autobiography, is a necessary reminder of how potently the echoes of the civil rights era remain with us today, argues terence elliottcooper. Successfully avoiding a national manhunt, shakur ultimately fled to cuba, resurfacing there in 1984.
They suspected her and a few other activists of murdering a state trooper. This book is an autobiography of assata shakur, a black revolutionary who. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. A study of three black power narratives as instruments for radical social change. This book is an autobiography of assata shakur, a black revolutionary who is now living in cuba where she has political asylum.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading assata. On may 2, 1973, black panther assata shakur aka joanne chesimard lay in a. An autobiography kindle edition by shakur, assata, harvey, david. She seemed to be 25, although i learned later that her skin. Assata shakur is joanne chesimard, the black panther leader who escaped from a new jersey prison in 1979 and within the past month has resurfaced in cuba.
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. Exile since 1979 on may 2 1973, black panther activist assata olugbala shakur fsn joanne deborah chesimard, was pulled over by the new jersey state police, shot twice and then charged with murder of a police officer. In the video, assata shakurs voice is highpitched and soft, out of sync with the fact that she is a notorious fugitive convicted of the murder of a new jersey state trooper. Afeni shakur is not assata shakur, but they did have a. Assata shakur, an autobiography digitalized by revsocialist for socialiststories. The book opens with a gruesome, bloody, detailed account of the assault. Assata shakur ia a lady who was born on the july 14, of the year 1947. July 16, 1947, sometimes referred to by her married surname chesimard is a former member of the black liberation army, who was convicted of the firstdegree murder of state trooper werner foerster during a shootout on the new jersey turnpike in 1973.
Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids. 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. In the recording, assata publicly described herself as a black revolutionary and. Assata assata book synopsys assata shakurborn was a leader. An autobiography charts the development of the revolutionarys political consciousness and personal ethics. 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. Assata was much like innocent people of the panther 21 trial, who were members of the black panther party unfairly arrested and put on a ridiculous trial. May 07, 20 the fbi recently made joanne chesimard the first woman on its list of most wanted terrorists. Shakur alternates across chapters between recounting her childhood and adolescence and dramatizing the many court cases she faced as an adult on the basis of flimsy or fabricated evidence. An autobiography is a autobiographical book by assata shakur. Feb 01, 2018 good morning music vr 360 positive vibrations 528hz the deepest healing boost your vibration duration. Joanne chesimard first woman named to most wanted terrorists list. Joanne chesimard, and elaine brown are the only women activists of the black power movement who have published book length autobiographies. War against black revolutionaries by bin wahad, dhoruba abujamal, mumia shakur, assata fletcher, jim editor jones, tanaquil editor lotringer, sylvere editor and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
Assata shakur s trial and conviction for the murder of a white state trooper in the spring of 1973 divided america. This theme continues through the rest of the book and exists throughout assatas entire life. I had no idea who assata shakur was before this book. She was at the san francisco book festival, hawking a book of photographs. Assata olugbala shakur is a former member of the black liberation army, who was convicted in, she published assata. On the 40th anniversary of the coldblooded murder of a new jersey state trooper, the. Last week, the fbi named former black panther and member of the black liberation army assata shakur as the first woman on its most wanted terrorist list. An autobiography 2 by assata shakur, angela davis, lennox s. Assata shakur with forewords by angela davis and lennox hinds. This study guide consists of approximately 28 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of assata. Common rapper, released the song a song for assata in 2000 after visiting shakur in cuba. Why feminists should care about the fbis hunt for assata. Assata by assata shakur overdrive rakuten overdrive. Assata shakur, also known as joanne chesimard, was the stepaunt and godmother of tupac.
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. On the 40th anniversary of the coldblooded murder of a new jersey state trooper, the fugitive convicted of the killing, joanne. On may 2 1973, black panther activist assata shakur fsn joanne deborah chesimard, was pulled over by the new jersey state police, shot twice and then charged with murder of a police officer. 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.
An autobiography, by assata shakur is available now from zed books, priced. Afeni shakur is not assata shakur, but they were connected. An autobiography by assata shakur reading guidebook. Assata shakur 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. An autobiography traces events from assata shakur s early childhood to her political refugee status in cuba. 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. This fact changed her life and all her vies towards what the society presents. Edgar hoovers campaign to defame, infiltrate, and criminalize black. May 06, 20 assata shakur was targeted by the cointel program, which attacked political black activists and members of civil rights groups, labeling them as terrorists.
This dubious milestone occurred 40 years to the day after she was, as she describes, unfairly convicted of shooting and murdering state trooper werner foester in new jersey on may 2 nd, 1973 an all. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Shakur, the black revolutionary fugitive residing in cuba, was elevated to the fbis most wanted list in 20. There will be a launch event for the book at the black cultural archives, in brixton, london on august. She was captured in 1973 and held as a political prisoner until 1979 one year after this article was written, when she was broken out of prison by a unit of the black liberation army. Assata assata book synopsys assata shakurborn was a. 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. The book was written in cuba where shakur currently has political asylum. Common gets a bad rap on assata shakur jonathan farley.
478 600 1324 800 443 1214 328 1211 1304 1262 643 442 1093 208 1384 250 539 1064 625 1006 1446 1250 492 642 1237 585 1530 1226 846 630 1113 687 367 1216 1052 460 398 1073 567 431 212 1186