Assata Shakur

The author, formerly known as JoAnne Chesimard, relates the formative experiences of her youth that led her to a life of activism in Black nationalist organizations and, eventually, to prison

An Autobiography

Assata

Our struggles are so very intimately connected. We should match our intentions & our words with our actions, as Assata says.

„Each time one of imperialism's tentacles is cut off we are closer to liberation. [...] Imperialism is an international system of exploitation, and, we, as revolutionaries, need to be internationalists to defeat it.”

I've read it with a knot in my neck, heart alternating between being as big as a flea to full of love and inspiration. You should read it too. Please read it too.

She went through hell and back at the hands of white people. Of bastard police. Of racists, both the loud kind and the quiet, enabler kind. At the hand of patriarchy. And yet, in spite of it all, she stood by herself, finding herself and her culture in every instance, in every trial, in every struggle.

The book is so well structured. There's a main arc, the one of her trials for allegedly murdering a bastard cop (which she didn't), and snapshots from throughout her life.

As with any book I fall in love with, this one is full of passages you'll want to turn into huge billboards so everyone could read and shed off some privilege and wilful ignorance.

Won't spoil anything in this review but ugh. I did spoil it for the people that were unfortunate enough to talk to me while I was reading this, haha.

Darda Nella

I had never read a biography of a public figure. I didn’t imagine what it would be like. I found really interesting to discover not only what Assata wanted to tell, but also what she didn’t tell. I am thankful because I learned a lot about activisim, revolution, and the black struggle and freedom fight in Amerika. However, I didn’t find a person in this story. I just found the story of a movement looked through a person’s eyes and identity. Very interesting. I would totally recommend this book, specially if you have time to read it carefully.

Rachel Kwon

Should be required reading for all Americans.

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 claimed the life of a white state trooper. Long a target of J. Edgar Hoover's campaign to defame, infiltrate, and criminalize Black nationalist organizations and their leaders, Shakur was incarcerated for four years prior to her conviction on flimsy evidence in 1977 as an accomplice to murder. ... Two years after her conviction, Assata Shakur escaped from prison. She was given political asylum by Cuba, where she now resides.

Katherine

A fascinating life story and an eye opening indictment of the US prison system. Everyone should read this book.

Yeldah Yousfi

Rebecca Lum

Michele

Kiran Aftab

Angelyn Francis

Sohini Roy

daniela

Haleemah Sadiah

nicole

nona

Haley Lopez

Cindy

aaron

paulafaraco@icloud.com

Sang Park

Liam Dyer

Haley Murray

ren corr

ryan page

Assata An Autobiography

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