Descriptions:
Assata Shakur, a former Black Panther and Black Liberation Army member, defines her life on her own terms, rejecting the U.S. government’s narrative of her as a criminal and instead asserting she is an escaped 20th-century slave and political refugee. Living in exile in Cuba, she advocates for international revolution, racial justice, and dismantling capitalist oppression.
Key Themes and Positions
“It is Our Duty to Fight”: A cornerstone of her ideology is that true freedom is earned through struggle, not through appeals to the oppressor, emphasizing that love and collective action are crucial for liberation.
Political Exile and Justice: She often points out that her conviction was a “legal lynching” conducted by an all-white jury, questioning the U.S. definition of justice. She maintains she was targeted by the FBI’s COINTELPRO and faced torture and inhuman treatment in prison.
Revolutionary Perspective: She promotes an analysis that connects race and class, viewing her struggle as part of a global, anti-imperialist movement.
Critique of Media and Capitalism: Shakur stresses that media is controlled by corporations, leading to false reporting and the demonization of activists.
Life in Cuba
Shakur escaped prison in 1979 and has been in Cuba since, where she sees a society free from the institutional racism she experienced in the U.S..
She continues to be a symbol of resistance for many, emphasizing the importance of keeping the struggle for human rights alive.
Her story and words are frequently used as a, call to action against racial injustice, as noted by organizations such as Black Alliance for Peace and in discussions regarding the Black Lives Matter Movement.
The officers saw that the sticker did not match the license plate on the car BEFORE they stopped the car? Nonsense!