Havana, Cuba – Assata Shakur, a former Black Liberation Army activist who spent more than four decades in exile in Cuba, has died at the age of 78. Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed her death on Friday, citing advanced age and unspecified health conditions.
Shakur, born JoAnne Deborah Byron in New York City in July 1947, became a central figure in the struggle for black rights in the United States. She was the step-aunt and godmother of late rapper Tupac Shakur.
Her activism began with the Black Panther Party during her college years, where she participated in initiatives aimed at improving education and social services for black communities. She later joined the Black Liberation Army, a more radical group formed by former Panthers.
In 1973, Shakur was involved in a deadly shootout with New Jersey police that left State Trooper Werner Foerster and activist Zayd Malik Shakur dead. She was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison but escaped in 1979 from a New Jersey women’s prison. Shakur fled to Cuba in 1984, where she received asylum from then-President Fidel Castro, and maintained her innocence throughout her life.
Shakur was the first woman added to the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists list, with a $1 million reward offered by both the FBI and the state of New Jersey. Her presence in Cuba contributed to ongoing tensions between the United States and the communist-run island.
Shakur’s story also inspired music and culture, with her name appearing in songs by Public Enemy and rapper Common. She is survived by her daughter, Kakuya Shakur, who wrote on Facebook that the loss was deeply felt.
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