Assata

This is a new book. Condition: Brand New.

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 criminalise Black nationalist organisations 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 candour, 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.

'A deftly written book...A spellbinding tale.' - The New York Times Book Review

'A sober, restrained, but forceful recollection...A must book for those interested in the 'revolutionaries' of the 1960s' - Choice

'A compelling tale of the impact of white racism on a sensitive and powerful young black woman.' - Library Journal

Book details and technical specifications

Format: Paperback / softback
ISBN13: 9781556520747
Published: November 1999

Number of pages: 320
Width: 152 mm
Height: 229 mm
Depth: 22 mm

Publisher: Chicago Review Press