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The prominent political activist Assata Shakur has died, and tributes have begun to pour in on social media in response honoring her revolutionary spirit.
On Friday morning (September 26), news went out confirming the passing of political activist Assata Shakur at her home in Cuba. There was an initial wave of confusion, as some reports of her passing were posted on social media on Thursday night. The Exterior Minister of Cuba sent out a statement in a post on X, formerly Twitter, citing her death “as a consequence of health ailments and her advanced age.” Shakur was 78.
Her daughter, Kakuya Shakur, would also confirm the news in a brief statement. “At approximately 1:15 P.M. on September 25th, my mother, Assata Shakur, took her last earthly breath,” her statement began. “Words cannot describe the depth of loss that I am feeling at this time. I want to thank you for your loving prayers that continue to anchor me in the strength that I need in this moment.”
Assata Olugbala Shakur was born in Flushing, Queens, New York in 1947 as JoAnne Deborah Byron (she was also known as Joanne Chesimard). After a turbulent childhood which saw her living in North Carolina for a time, Shakur would live with her aunt Evelyn A. Williams, a civil rights worker who would go on to be one of her defense attorneys later in life. Shakur would become involved in political activism while at the Borough of Manhattan Community College and City College of New York, taking the name Assata Shakur in 1971 after graduation and a brief marriage. She joined the Black Panther Party, leading the Harlem chapter for a time before joining the Black Liberation Army.
Assata Shakur would then be charged with several crimes over her BLA association, becoming the subject of manhunts by law enforcement from 1971 to 1973, which she and other activists allege was the doing of the FBI’s COINTELPRO before being convicted of the murder of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster in 1977 in a controversial trial. In her memoir Assata: An Autobiography, Shakur spoke of the beatings and mistreatment she endured while imprisoned during the trial, despite her pregnancy. She also decried the systemic bias of the court system.
After being freed from federal prison in 1979, Shakur would eventually make it to Cuba, where she was welcomed as a freedom fighter. Her daughter, Kakuya, would join her there in 1985. Her book has become a key component for critical race theory programs and legal studies. Shakur would also be the inspiration for Hip-Hop, inspiring the Black August concert series in Cuba and Common’s “A Song For Assata”, which he penned after personally meeting her on a trip to Cuba among other songs. Shakur would also be the subject of numerous attempts by the United States to extradite her, including by President Donald Trump.
An outpouring of tributes flooded social media soon after the news of Shakur’s passing was confirmed. Questlove of The Roots saluted Shakur on his Instagram account, writing: “The Roots had the privilege to give a concert in Cuba in the summer of 2002 (thank you black august/dream) and we were granted a dinner with the one and only Assata Shakur and man….chills. I’ll never forget that night as long as I live. Thank You Assata. You Are Free. Rest In Power.”
