Revolutionary from a different time, a different struggle. This study guide consists of approximately 28 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of assata. The book tells the often shocking, yet inspiring, story of assatas life up to her arrest and eventual escape to cuba. Assata shakur attempted to spend time in her cell exercising, reading, writing, and reflecting, but whenever the sheriff or some other authority figure saw her not suffering, they forced her to stop all activity. Assata shakur was born in new york city on july 16, 1947. Assata shakur, the firebrand revolutionary black panther, was convicted and sentenced to life in a widely publicized case involving a 1973 shootout. In 20 assata shakur, founding member of the black liberation army, former black panther and godmother of tupac shakur, became the first ever woman to make the fbis most wanted terrorist list. Sample by my essay writer assata shakur s 1987 autobiography assata. Ive sent the book around to my circle of friends and they all love it and now own their own copy. Successfully avoiding a national manhunt, shakur ultimately fled to cuba, resurfacing there in 1984. The book tells the often shocking yet inspiring story of assatas life up to her arrest and eventual escape to cuba. She was in her car when she was describing this so eventually the cops. She is also an escaped convict and has been linked to the black liberation army bla. Assata, page 207 thirtyfour years ago this november 2, in 1980, black revolutionary assata shakur escaped from the clinton correctional facility for women in new jersey, with the help of comrades wielding.
Assata shakur s trial and conviction for the murder of a white state trooper in. In order to understand the book, it is crucial to understand some of. Assata shakur s trial and conviction for the murder of a white state trooper in the spring of 1973 divided america. All the notes on trial strategy we had mapped out were missing. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. Contents contents 2 summary 3 concrete responses 6 reflection 7 application 8 references 9 why you do the things you do summary the title of the book is. The reason she gives for changing her name was that she needed a name that reflected her state of feeling more like an african woman rather than a european as her name depicted. Assata shakur is a black revolutionary who was born joanne byron in 1947 in new york city. An autobiography is written by assata shakur and takes place in the 1970s when shakur was being charged with several assaults, many of which she did not commit. An autobiography kindle edition by shakur, assata, harvey, david. Assata aka joanne chesimard 2008 plot summary imdb.
The context of white supremacy hosts our debut study session on the autobiography of assata shakur. Born on july 16, 1947 as joanne chesimard, the aunt of tupac shakur would be described as the soul of the black liberation army. An autobiography is a 1988 autobiographical book by assata shakur. She can see lights and sirens, here friend zyad was dead and she was injured herself. According to a new jersey police spokesperson, assata shakur was on her way to a new hideout in philadelphia and heading ultimately for washington and a book in the vehicle contained a list of potential bla targets. In this ideological context, political prisoners like assata shakur, murnia abu jamal, and. After a while, people just think oppression is the normal state of things. She has defied the most powerful country on earth, and inspired a whole new generation of revolutionaries. This theme continues through the rest of the book and exists throughout assata s entire life. Why is the fbi still chasing black panther assata shakur. Assata shakur, an autobiography digitalized by revsocialist for socialiststories. Assata spent six and a half years in prison under brutal circumstances before escaping out of the maximum s. Assata quotes by assata shakur goodreads share book.
A 20th century escaped slave by barbara casey was a well written adult nonfiction book that followed the life of assata olugbala shakur. The beginning of the book talks about the events which lead to her being railroaded through the new york federal penal system. Assata book synopsys assata shakur born july 16, 1947 was a leader in the black liberation. As a child she spent time working with her grandparents in a restaurant they own by the beach. The book was written in cuba where shakur currently has political asylum. Assata shakur testified that she was on her way to. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. The book assata gives great insight into the role that women played in the black panther party and contrary to popular belief the women did not take the back seat.
The two narratives effectively merge near book s end, as shakur s account of her education turns to an account of increasingly revolutionary activism in and around the black panther party. Aside from this, her grandmother lulu hill tought her to be dignified. Shakur alternates across chapters between recounting her childhood and adolescence and dramatizing the many court cases she faced as an adult on the basis of flimsy or fabricated evidence. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of assata.
It is followed by a selection of important quotes from the book. Fats domino, nat king cole, chuck berry, little richard, the platters, brook benton, bobby. Assata shakur s autobiography assata shakur is a member of the black panthers and an activist. For although her book is intensely personal, it is also absolutely political. Share assata shakur quotations about struggle, oppression and racism. When she was not in solitary confinement she mixed with the other prisoners, most of whom, she notes despairingly, were black or hispanic. An autobiography tells the story of one of the most important leaders of the black power movement of the 1960s and 70s. Chapters 1 and 2 summary and analysis this book is an autobiography of assata shakur, a black revolutionary who is now living in cuba, where she has political asylum. But to become free, you have to be acutely aware of being a slave. This book is an autobiography of assata shakur, a black revolutionary who is now living in cuba where she has political asylum. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Assata, is an autobiography that travels at a fast pace and its hard to put down because you will truly anticipate the conclusion.
On may 2nd, 1973, assata shakur, sundiata acoli and zayd shakur were stopped on the new jersey turnpike by two white police officers. After leaving the black panther, she became a leader for the black liberation army. Her grandmother is the person who shaped her views on things such as white people and how they treated blacks. She was living with her mother, aunt and her grandparents in wilmington north carolina. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading assata. On may 2 1973, black panther activist assata shakur fsn joanne deborah chesimard, was pulled over by the new jersey state police, shot twice and then charged with murder of a police officer.
Curriculum guide assata, an autobiography summary in 1973, assata shakur, a leader in the black liberation movement of the 1960s and 70s, was convicted, based on flimsy evidence, of being an accomplice in the murder of a new jersey state trooper. A lot of white radicals, hippies, chicanos, blacks, and asians were ready. Assata s grandparents assata shakur s grandparents had a major influence on her life as a child. Analysis of the movie assata an autobiography bartleby. Shakur recounts what happened after a shooting on the new jersey state turnpike, the shooting left new. They arent public so you need the link which you get to hear automatically in the playlist. She was shot in the chest and this was evident because she said that every time she breathed it felt like her chest was going to explode. An autobiography as a site of radical teaching and learning 1. Throughout her autobiography, shakur begins telling events in which show how big racism is towards african americans and. She spent a lot of time as a girl in north carolina with her grandparents, though. View notes assata from his 317 at university of texas. An autobiography, in alternating chapters, the book covers assata s early childhood, adolescence and early adulthood and her experiences of arrest, the american justice system or kourts as they are referred to by the author, subsequent incarceration, life as a fugitive and subsequent escape to cuba.
An autobiography, describes how she became an activist who was in the middle of a massive racial conflict in the united states. Assata shakur s autobiography first published in 1988 and newly republished this year by zed books has lost none of its relevance. Summary 5 the chapter begins with assata describing how. I personally liked the fact that the book was about assata olugbala shakur both before and after she became a fugitive. From chuck ds famous identification as a supporter of chesimard. An autobiography charts the development of the revolutionarys political consciousness and personal ethics. The author is both the narrator and the subject of the book. They moved her from jail to jail and repeatedly denied her rights. This book is an autobiography of assata shakur, a black revolutionary who is now living in cuba where she has political. This is the second book that i read from the black panther party series. While she spent some time trying to be a grownup on the streets of nyc when she was just an adolescent, she ultimately went to college and discovered political movements. The less you think about your oppression, the more your tolerance for it grows. Youve got to connect the dots between rappers like common and chuck d name checking her in song, the wider context of the black power. She eventually became involved with the black liberation movement and the black panther party in the 1960s.
Her birth name was joanne deborah chesimard but she changed her name to assata shakur in 1971. Assata shakur sound ideas university of puget sound. Summary 5 the chapter begins with assata describing how she feels during the current situation. Assata assata book synopsys assata shakurborn was a leader in. It remains an essential text for understanding both the prisonindustrial complex and the state of race. An autobiography by assata shakur 15,731 ratings, 4. In my case, spirituality has been important to me because at periods in my life theres been very little else that ive had going.