Assata: An Autobiography Paperback – July 10, 2014

I had to read this book in my college course and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it! I'm not much of a reader but Assata's story really touched me and I would highly recommend.

I liked how the storytelling switched from her childhood to the horrid she was facing in prison and again the corrupt system. i learned so much from this book and i would recommend to anybody wanting to learn more about what it was like to be a member of the black liberation movement.

So amazing to hear from the horse's mouth, and get a front row seat to the assemblage and workings of The Black Panther Party. Whether Assata chose a more militant road to Black civil rights or not, it can't be denied her stout- hearted loyalty to both the Party and Black freedom. From her narrative, I do consider her an icon who had bravery, compassion, and dedication. Her place in Black History cannot be denied. She was an ordinary woman who was fed up, and decided to take a direct stand, even if it cost her her life.

The quality of biographies and autobiographies is largely dependent upon the life lived by the individual and how the story is told. Someone could have lived a full and exciting life but tell about it in a drab, dull way. Whereas someone could have lived a mundane, boring life but narrated it in a colorful and interesting way.Assata lived a very interesting life, much different than the majority of us, and she told her story in an uncomplicated and intriguing manner. I had never heard of Assata Shakur until I saw her named mentioned in another book I was reading. Now I'm quite upset that I didn't know about her sooner or that I hadn't read her story when I was younger.Assata's simple yet powerful story of her life in New York as a young woman searching for a way to best serve her people is amazing. I absolutely love her toughness, her mindset and her ability to think for herself. Although she joined the Black Panther Party she was not hesitant to point out its flaws and what they needed to do to improve. She took a critical thinking approach to everything she did though her actions weren't completely devoid of emotion.What happened to her as an adult is eerily similar to what happened to so many other freedom fighters/Black activists in the 60's and 70's: they were either killed or imprisoned. Fortunately, she wasn't killed though it wasn't for lack of trying. That night of May 2, 1973 had death sentence written all over it. But she survived and fought one legal battle after the next until the system finally succeeded in putting her away. It was a matter of: "we have the resources and the means and you do not."Assata was an amazing woman and it literally radiates from the pages. And she tells her story in a straightforward way. She's not trying to exhibit how much she knows or even how much she's done. It is not a verbose book with $10 words in there to wow the reader. It is a simple no-nonsense telling of what her life was like in the Black urban areas of New York as a child, how she became the pro-Black woman she became and how a system of institutionalized racism ran her over with their 20 ton train.She conspicuously and wisely omits a lot of names and details when it comes to some of her movements and meetings during her Panther days and, of course, of her escape from prison. Still, you learn all you need to know about Assata and the powers that she was up against. But she named herself Assata Olugbala Shakur for a reason:"Assata means 'She who struggles,' Olugbala means 'Love for the people,' ...Shakur means 'the thankful.'" I would say that she embodied all of that and I'M thankful she lived the life she lived, told the story she told and I'm thankful I got a chance to read and appreciate it.

Written more than 30 years ago, it is a travesty how topical and timely Ms. Sharkur's words seem in 2015. The fact that this woman is on the FBI's list of most wanted "terrorists" is truly disgusting; the evil of the illegal, inhumane, and cruel treatment she endured while wrongfully imprisoned and given "trial" reaches beyond any skill I have with language to describe. Ms. Angela Davis is wise to point out to the reader in the foreword that Ms. Shakur truly does gloss over the depravity of what was inflicted upon her. It is clear that she did not write this to say "look at what they did to me." It is so much more than Ms. Shakur laying out the clear-as-day facts that outline her innocence. There is of course a (justified) level of response to the smear-campaign waged against her, and statements that begin to hint at the level of hell she endured, but it is so much more. In the text she discusses the necessity of learning the history and heroes of a people to be aligned with their struggle in relation to her own education about Puerto Ricans. I see her choice to detail her childhood just as much, if not more, than her experience as a young adult revolutionary or as a political prisoner as an incredible opportunity to accept the gift of a contextual historical education of a heroine of this struggle, to feel the lifelong pain of this beautiful woman, and to see her prevail. I also deeply appreciated her willingness to critique the BPP's adherence to dogma and its patriarchy. I could write pages about all of the things to which Ms. Shakur opened my eyes. I am so glad that I was compelled to buy and read this book. I read it in two days, I could hardly put it down. Do not believe the lies. Do the research. Assata Olugbala Shakur does not hate white people; she loves Black people. Assata Olugbala Shakur is not a bank-robber or a cop-killer. Assata Olugbala Shakur is a force for the common good of all human beings. "I was in communion with all the forces on the earth that truly love people, in communion with all the revolutionary forces on the earth."

Any teacher interested in culturally relevant/responsive pedagogy must read this book. The times Ms. Shakur talks about her experiences in education will be enlightening for any teacher seeking to make their class more equitable.

I love Assata’s writing, how she intertwined her upbringing with her experience in prison. The tone is very honest and I learned a lot from her experience with the prison and court system, as well as her vision for liberation

Very powerful book

Assata is a well paced book that is easy to read and enjoyable. She includes some of her own poetry that is relevant to the bigger story. It is well constructed and I can't see anyone being disappointed. At times her story made me cry, but in no way does it try to milk emotion; indeed it is usually understated. The book cleverly and simply alternates between her early childhood and her difficult time in prison, including the string of ridiculous trials. The writing has a ring of the beat generation (like spelling america as amerika) but this adds quaintness to the book and places it neatly in the era in which it was written. My only criticism would be that it could have included more details to produce a really authoritative text, but it isn't that type of book: it's a book about her feelings, her thoughts, her childhood and her progress and development through active socialism, and how she coped with her time in prison. An important and enjoyable book.

I loved everything about this book. The non linear structure and how she kept switching from her childhood perspective growing up to when she was getting arrested and all the struggles she went through being a prisoner and going through all the trials. The writing was very vivid as you read you feel like you are living in the moment. The language is amazing as well the abundance of language techniques was put well together. What I loved was how she was very honest about the struggles she went through as a black child and how each time she was growing up she always had the desire to educate herself in a lot of issues. Moreover it’s an amazing autobiography to read I recommend it, the poetry was beautiful as well!!

An insight to the unfair justice system and imperialistic system aka United States of America. This book is not for the fragile. It's raw yet emotional. An insight to Assata's challenging life from confused child to revolutionary, fighting for the people she loved the most. She is nothing but an inspiration to all African women both in the continent and in the diaspora. I've read this book more than once and each time I discover something new. Thank you Assata, you are loved!

Gives an angle on parts of American history that most might not want to hear about. The legal processes Assata had to endure are in effect criminal themselves and still prevalent today - which in itself is depressing. Civil rights in America continues to be a bone of contention which is odd seeing as it's supposed to be the "Land of the Free". Assata's story is both inspiring and heart-breaking, but a great read nonetheless.

Before I read this, I knew about COINTELPRO and the FBI’s mission to destabilise black communities and black liberation activists in the us, but reading about it in clinical white academic dates and times doesn’t communicate even a tiny bit of the damage they did to black liberation activists. Assata is amazing and I feel like having been able to read her unique voice talking about her experiences will put me and others on the road to being more useful activists in the world today.