Assata Shakur's History

Assata Shakur realized early on the racial inequalities of African Americans and other minority groups while growing up in the segregated South and later during her time spent up North. It would be those earliest experiences to influence her joining the Black Panther Party, and later the Black Liberation Army. During 1973-1979 in the United States she would be accused of numerous criminal acts including attempted armed robbery, bank robberies, kidnapping, attempted murder: first and second degree. Most cases were dismissed, but it would be the happenings of May 2, 1973 in which Assata is found guilty for that would shape her decisions to flee the country and regain her freedom; Examined here is her life during the trail, discrimination in the law enforcement and her impact on black culture.
According to Assata on May 2, 1973 she along with Zayd Malik Shakur and Sundiata Acoli were stopped by two white cops who acclaimed that they were driving with a broken tail light. The first officer (Trooper Forester) came to the car and asked to see the driver’s driving license. Soon after the officer supposedly shot Assata while she had her arms up. She then was shot in the back and left to die; once she did not die she was taken to a hospital where she was threatened and beaten. The law enforces interrogated her trying to make her confess to them what they wanted to hear. Wanting her to admit to the murders of her friends and the policeman, but when her finger were examined there were no signs of gunpowder nor did they find her fingerprints on any weapons. Even though the officer of the scene Trooper Harper confessed to having lied in his police reports about the other officer yelling or Assata pulling a gun out of a red pocketbook. She de...

... middle of paper ...

...clear facts and evidence the law system did everything to showcase Trayvon as an ignorant, misbehaving teen, and in the end there was no justice for him. We need people to advocate for fair trails, judges, lawyers and jurors. Assata described her trail as a legal lynching, stating she should have stayed in her cell; they were going to do what they wanted to anyone. Assata which means “she who struggles”; all her life Assata struggled to be at peace at how things were for blacks and why they were not given equal opportunity. Olugbala meaning “for the people” describes Assata passion to improving the lives of her people and how she wanted to make her ancestors like Harriet Tubman proud. Shakur “the thankful one” thankful for her grandmother who taught her to stand up for herself and thankful for a nation like Cuba who took her in and gave her a peace at mind.