Assata Shakur, a powerful symbol of Black liberation and a long-standing figure of controversy in American history, has died at the age of 78 in Cuba, according to Cuban news outlet CubaMinRex. Her death was attributed to “advanced age.”
Born JoAnne Deborah Byron in Queens, New York, Shakur came of age during the 1960s civil rights movement. Her political journey began with the Black Panther Party before she joined the Black Liberation Army, which advocated for armed resistance against systemic racism.
She became a national figure in 1973 after a New Jersey Turnpike shootout that left State Trooper Werner Foerster and BLA member Zayd Malik Shakur dead. Assata was wounded, arrested, and later convicted of Foerster’s murder, though she consistently maintained her innocence.
In 1979, Shakur escaped from prison and resurfaced years later in Cuba, where she was granted political asylum. For decades, she lived outside the spotlight while remaining a wanted figure in the U.S., with a $2 million FBI bounty on her head. Despite that, many hailed her as a hero of resistance.
Her 1987 autobiography has remained a staple among activists and academics, influencing generations fighting racial injustice.
Assata is survived by her daughter, Kakuya Shakur.
