Assata Shakur, the former Black Liberation Army (BLA) activist who spent more than four decades in exile in Cuba after being convicted in the killing of a New Jersey state trooper, has died at 78.
Cuba’s foreign ministry confirmed on Friday that Shakur, born Joanne Deborah Byron, passed away a day earlier due to health complications linked to advanced age.
Shakur, a prominent figure in America’s racial justice struggles of the 1970s, became both a symbol of resistance and a divisive figure. She faced numerous criminal charges, including robbery and kidnapping, though many cases ended in acquittals or mistrials. Supporters argue she was relentlessly targeted by U.S. authorities because of her activism.
Her most infamous case stemmed from a 1973 traffic stop on the New Jersey Turnpike that erupted into a shootout. State Trooper Werner Foerster and a BLA member were killed, while Shakur was wounded. Prosecutors alleged she fired first, but she maintained her innocence, testifying her hands were raised when she was shot.
Despite medical testimony supporting her claim, an all-white jury convicted her of first-degree murder in 1977, and she was sentenced to life in prison.
In 1979, fellow BLA members orchestrated a dramatic prison break, and Shakur eventually fled to Cuba, where Fidel Castro granted her political asylum. The U.S. government repeatedly sought her extradition, and she remained on the FBI’s most-wanted list for decades.
“Sadly, it appears she has passed without being held fully accountable,” New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and State Police Superintendent Colonel Patrick Callahan said in a joint statement.
To many, however, Shakur represented defiance against systemic injustice. She adopted the name Assata Olugbala Shakur in 1971, renouncing what she called her “slave name.” She was also regarded as the godmother of late rapper Tupac Shakur.
Her life and legacy continue to stir debate over race, justice, and the limits of state power in America.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
