Remember, Lest We Forget Assata Shakur: Fighting for Black liberation
By Dr. Anne T. Sulton, Esq.
JA Senior International Correspondent
On September 25, 2025, Assata Shakur died of natural causes in Cuba. She was 78 years old.
Shakur was internationally known for her work with the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army. Like other members of these USA-based organizations, Shakur’s activities were closely monitored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
During the early 1970s, Shakur was accused of committing serious violent crimes as part of her Black liberation work. Among these alleged crimes are bank robberies in New York, a hand grenade attack on a police vehicle, and murder of a New Jersey State Trooper during a gun fight.
In 1977, despite professing her innocence, Shakur was convicted of murdering the New Jersey State Trooper and sentenced to life in prison.
In 1979, she escaped from prison and fled the country.
In 1984, Shakur was granted political asylum in Cuba. Millions of dollars in rewards were offered for her capture and return to the USA. However, despite FBI and other efforts, Shakur was able to remain in Cuba for the rest of her life.
Shakur tells part of her life story in her autobiography. It initially was published in 1987. One of Shakur’s attorneys, Lennox S. Hinds, wrote the Forward. When the book was reprinted in 2001, Angela Davis also wrote a Foreword. To read Shakur’s entire autobiography free online, go to https://www.7iber.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Assata-An-Autobiography-Assata-Shakur-Angela-Y.-Davis-Lennox-S.-Hinds-z-lib.org_.pdf
Although a controversial figure in American history, Shakur is considered by many as an important voice for Black liberation. Hundreds of news stories and scores of books have been written about her role in raising questions about systemic oppression of Blacks in the USA.
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