One of the Most Epic Memoirs Ever Written, In Her Own Words—The Life of the Legendary Black Panther Party Activist and Fighter for Freedom, Protester of Social Injustice and Inequality—the One and Only Brave Soul and Courageous Spirit: Assata Shakur.

On May 2, 1973, Black Panther Assata Shakur (aka JoAnne Chesimard) lay in a hospital, close to death, handcuffed to her bed, while local, state, and federal police attempted to question her about the shootout on the New Jersey Turnpike that had claimed the life of a white state trooper.

Long a target of J. Edgar Hoover's campaign to defame, infiltrate, and criminalize Black nationalist organizations and their leaders, Shakur was incarcerated for four years prior to her conviction on flimsy evidence in 1977 as an accomplice to murder.

This intensely personal and political autobiography belies the fearsome image of JoAnne Chesimard long projected by the media and the state.

With wit and candor, Assata Shakur recounts the experiences that led her to a life of activism and portrays the strengths, weaknesses, and eventual demise of Black and White revolutionary groups at the hand of government officials.

The result is a signal contribution to the literature about growing up Black in America that has already taken its place alongside The Autobiography of Malcolm X and the works of Maya Angelou.

Two years after her conviction, Assata Shakur escaped from prison. She was given political asylum by Cuba, where she now resides.

About the Author

Assata Shakur: Author & Political Activist

Assata Olugbala Shakur was born JoAnne Deborah Byron in 1947, was an American political activist who became a prominent figure in the Black Liberation movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. After becoming politically active in college, she joined the Black Panther Party briefly before becoming a member of the Black Liberation Army (BLA). Her life as a revolutionary reached a critical point on May 2, 1973, when she and two companions were involved in a shootout with New Jersey State Troopers on the turnpike, which resulted in the death of a trooper and one of her companions. Shakur was later convicted of first-degree murder and other charges in 1977, despite maintaining her innocence. Two years into her life sentence, she escaped from prison in 1979.

Shakur successfully evaded authorities for several years before emerging in Cuba in 1984, where she was granted political asylum. While living in exile, she authored her memoir, Assata: An Autobiography, which chronicled her life, her political motivations, and the circumstances surrounding her conviction and escape. She remained a controversial figure for decades, celebrated by supporters as a political prisoner and revolutionary icon, while being labeled a fugitive and terrorist by the U.S. government; in 2013, the FBI placed her on its Most Wanted Terrorists list, the first woman to receive that designation.

Assata Shakur died in Havana, Cuba, on September 25, 2025, at the age of 78, due to "health conditions and advanced age," as confirmed by the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs and her family.

Assata: An Autobiography | Assata Shakur