Assata: An Autobiography (Paperback)

Regular price $29.00

by Assata Shakur

Description

In her own words.

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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. 

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Long a target of J. Edgar Hoover's campaign to defame, infiltrate, and criminalize Black nationalist organizations and their leaders, Shakur was incarcerated for 4 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. As of July 2024, she is still on the FBI's Most Wanted list.

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This intensely personal and political autobiography belies the fearsome image of JoAnne Chesimard long projected by the media and the state. With wit and candor, Assata Shakur recounts the experiences that led her to a life of activism and portrays the strengths, weaknesses, and eventual demise of Black and White revolutionary groups at the hand of government officials. 

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The result is a signal contribution to the literature about growing up Black in America that has already taken its place alongside The Autobiography of Malcolm X and the works of Maya Angelou.

About the Author

Assata Olugbala Shakur (born JoAnne Deborah Byron on July 16, 1947) is an American political activist, author, and fugitive. She is a former member of the Black Liberation Army (BLA) and the Black Panther Party.

Product Details

Category: Memoir

Language: English

Format/Binding: Paperback

Book Condition: New

ISBN-10: 1556520743

ISBN-13: 978-1556520747

Publisher: Lawrence Hill Books

Date Published: November 01, 1999

Pages: 274

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