A documentary and scripted series about the life and legacy of the late Assata Shakur are reportedly in development. Assata Shakur, who was living in Cuba, died this past September.
In an exclusive report from Variety, siblings Giselle and Stephen Bailey are developing the documentary and scripted series centered on the life of the activist, who remained on the run from American authorities for 45 years.
“Assata’s story is important to all Americans as it reveals the powers that divide us and our capacity to heal,” Giselle and Stephen Bailey shared in a statement. The pair also brought HBO’s Seen & Heard: The History of Black Television. Shakur’s daughter, Kakuya Shakur, has given her blessing for the development of the projects, which will be produced by the Baileys’ Indigo Films.
Shakur was born Joanne Byron on July 16, 1947, and became a political activist before joining the Black Panther Party and later the Black Liberation Party. In the early 1970s, Shakur and other members of the BLA were involved in a shootout with New Jersey state troopers, killing one of the officers. In 1979, Shakur escaped prison with the assistance of the BLA and lived in Cuba from that point on.
Professor and activist Angela Davis is one of the executive producers of the documentary, with civil rights lawyer Lennox Hinds providing support to help round out the development of the project.
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Photo: Getty
