Activist, Revolutionary, and Wanted Fugitive: The Harrowing Tale of Assata Shakur

In 1979, political activist and Black revolutionary Assata Shakur was serving a life sentence for murder when she escaped from a New Jersey prison. She has been on the run ever since

Depiction of Assata Shakur

Background

In the 1970s, the U.S. government waged war against Black liberation movements, branding activists as criminals and terrorists. Among these was Assata Shakur, a woman who would become the face of resistance and a fugitive who would evade American authorities for decades.

Was she a revolutionary fighting against oppression or a convicted fugitive evading justice? The answer depends on who you ask.