Assata Shakur's Bravery
What made Assata Shakur so fearless?
4.7 (18)
46 mins
Discover the extraordinary story of Assata Shakur, a Black liberation activist who was imprisoned in the US after being convicted of murder and assault charges stemming from a 1973 New Jersey shootout. Explore her years in custody, the 1979 armed takeover of her prison by supporters, and her eventual escape to Cuba.
Ep 1:
The Woman Worth Two Million Dollars
Before the bounty and the wanted posters, there was a girl in segregated Carolina learning defiance, and a file clerk in Queens whose mind was about to catch fire.
Ep 2:
The Turnpike, The Trial, The Torture
A traffic stop on the New Jersey Turnpike ends in two deaths, and the forensic evidence tells a story wildly at odds with the verdict an all-white jury reached.
Ep 3:
Escape, Exile, and an Island Called Home
Pregnant behind bars, then broken free from a maximum-security prison, Assata finds in Cuba the first warmth—and freedom—she's ever known, reunited with the daughter she lost.
Ep 4:
Contradictions of a Government at War
In exile, Assata sharpens her politics and pen, while the same government hunting her as a terrorist quietly shelters men who bombed a plane full of athletes.
Ep 5:
Chains She Never Lost Again
From Common's lyrics to Black Lives Matter's chants, Assata's words outlive the manhunt—until her death in Havana forces two grieving families to reckon with one unfinished history.
Discussions (5)
Gary
Level 10 · 1 week agoThe part about her grandparents literally engineering defiance into her posture hit hard. Raising a kid to never bow down in a town where the wrong look could get you killed takes a different kind of courage most people will never understand.
Maxim
Level 4 · 1 week agoThe FBI put her on a terrorism list with Taliban commanders but couldn't confirm her birthday. The most wanted woman in America and they weren't even sure when she was born. Two million dollars of embarrassment.
Traci
Level 2 · 1 week agoThe US government put Assata on a terrorist list with Taliban commanders while pardoning men who literally blew up a plane full of people. The audacity is not subtle. It's a whole press release.
