[179] Hinds argues that "in the history of New Jersey, no woman pretrial detainee or prisoner has ever been treated as she was, continuously confined in a men's prison, under twenty-four-hour surveillance of her most intimate functions, without intellectual sustenance, adequate medical attention, and exercise, and without the company of other women for all the years she was in custody". 1977) (en banc). Black Liberation Army Member, Assata Shakur, Tried on Murder and Assault Charges New Jersey v. Chesimard, 555 F.2d 63 (3d Cir. Numerous musicians have composed and recorded songs about her or dedicated to her: Digable Planets, The Underachievers and X-Clan have also recorded songs about Shakur. Following her parents' divorce in 1950, she moved with her mother and maternal grandparents to Wilmington, North Carolina. She said that the police beat and choked her and were "doing everything that they could possibly do as soon as the doctors or nurses would go outside". Beginning in 1971, Shakur was allegedly involved in several incidents of assault and robbery, in which she was charged or identified as wanted for questioning, including attacks on New York City police and bank robberies in the area. "[12], On May 2, 1973, at about 12:45a.m.,[58] Assata Shakur, along with Zayd Malik Shakur (born James F. Costan) and Sundiata Acoli (born Clark Squire), were stopped on the New Jersey Turnpike in East Brunswick for driving with a broken tail light by State Trooper James Harper, backed up by Trooper Werner Foerster in a second patrol vehicle. Submitted by Juan Conatz on October 8, 2012. Her autobiography has been cited in relation to critical legal studies[204] and critical race theory. A book in the vehicle was said to contain a list of potential BLA targets. John Young, in August, 1971. [240], In 2015, New Jersey's Kean University dropped hip-hop artist Common as a commencement speaker because of police complaints. At least 12 aging members of the Black Panthers are still imprisoned in the US. Assata Shakur, whose real name is Joanne Chesimard, is a Black Panther activist, a member of the left-wing Black Liberation Army, who was convicted of murder in 1977. Assata Shakur was found guilty of the murder of both Foerster and her companion Zayd Shakur, . In her 320-page memoir, Shakur gave one paragraph to her marriage, saying that it ended over their differing views of gender roles. Following her parents' divorce, Byron spent much of her childhood moving between her grandparents and other family in Wilmington, North Carolina, and New York City, where her . Revolution, the Black Liberation Army, escape from prison and seeking political refuge in Cuba- Assata Shakur writes about her life. [81], Sundiata Acoli, Assata Shakur, Trooper Harper, and a New Jersey Turnpike driver who saw part of the incident were the only surviving witnesses. [92] Bloom had been assigned to defend Sadiki/Hilton over the summer, but White was not disclosed as a government witness until right before the trial. [83] In protest, the lawyers stayed mute, and Shakur and Sadiki conducted their own defense. The two men were charged with the murder of Officer Scarangella and attempted murder of Officer Rainey. [39][40] Shakur was alleged to have been directly involved with the Foster and Laurie murders, and involved tangentially with the Piagentini and Jones murders. [212] Shakur later published an extensive criticism of the NBC segment, which inter-spliced footage of Trooper Foerster's grieving widow with an FBI photo connected to a bank robbery of which Shakur had been acquitted. [149], A total of 408 potential jurors were questioned during the voir dire, which concluded on February 14. Title: Black Liberation Army Papers Creator: Black Liberation Army Inclusive dates: 1963-1998 Extent: 1.5 Linear feet (1 records box and 1 manuscript box) Abstract: . Most Wanted Terrorists: JOANNE DEBORAH CHESIMARD, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Assata_Shakur&oldid=1146866583, Convicted of murder, one of the FBI's "Most Wanted Terrorists", friend of, Bank robbery in Bronx: Conspiracy, robbery, and assault with a deadly weapon, Attempted murder of policemen Michael O'Reilly and Roy Polliana, Turnpike shootout: First-degree murder, second-degree murder, atrocious assault and battery, assault and battery against a police officer, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with intent to kill, illegal possession of a weapon, and armed robbery, Assault and battery against a police officer, Christol, Helene. She escaped from prison in 1979 and later fled to Cuba in 1984, where she gained political asylum. Throughout the 1970s, she was indicted nearly a. "[79] Morris County, had a far smaller black population than Middlesex County. Wilfredo, Cancio Isla (December 18, 2007). After the vehicle was pulled over, two men stepped out of the vehicle and opened fire on NYPD officers John Scarangella and Richard Rainey. She eventually joined both the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army. Early life [ edit] And in my own mind, only someone who has been so intimately a victim of this madness as I have can do justice to what I have to say. Allen-Mills, Tony (May 27, 2007). A neurologist testified that the median nerve in Shakur's right arm was severed by the second bullet, making her unable to pull a trigger. Assata's real crime, FBI spokesman Aaron Ford said, was that from Cuba she continues to "maintain and promote her ideology" and "provides anti-U.S. government speeches espousing the Black Liberation Army message"an ideology and message that the U.S. government has declared "terrorism." [196] In particular, one pre-dawn April 20, 1980, raid on 92Morningside Avenue, during which FBI agents armed with shotguns and machine guns broke down doors and searched through the building for several hours while preventing residents from leaving, was seen by residents as having "racist overtones". [59] The vehicle was "slightly" exceeding the speed limit. [106] On this basis, Shakur unsuccessfully attempted to remove the trial to federal court. New Jersey State Police superintendent Rick Fuentes said "she is now 120pounds of money. [10] The official premiere of the film in Havana in 2004 was promoted by Casa de las Amricas, the main cultural forum of the Cuban government. "Gunfight Suspect Caught in Jersey". [163], In October 1977, New York State Superior Court Justice John Starkey dismissed murder and robbery charges against Shakur related to the death of Richard Nelson during a hold-up of a Brooklyn social club on December 28, 1972, ruling that the state had delayed too long in bringing her to trial. By Mirinda Crissman July 15, 2022 In honor of Assata Shakur's 75th birthday on July 16, the IAC is reprinting this slightly edited version of her open letter, first posted on Dec. 30, 2014. [17] In Oakland, Shakur worked with the BPP to organize protests and community education programs. She is the woman who was recently added to the FBI's most wanted terrorist list. "Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of . Joanne Chesimard, a leader of the Black Liberation Army, was convicted of killing a state trooper on the New Jersey Turnpike in 1973. [62][159], Davidson based his testimony on an August 4, 1976, examination of Shakur and on X-rays taken immediately after the shootout at Middlesex General Hospital. [189] Shakur has been described as a "rap music legend"[222] and a "minor cause celebre". "[44][78] It gives an account of her life beginning with her youth in the South and New York. Pre-owned. The New York Clearing House Association paid for full-page ads displaying material about Shakur. (December 21, 1973). Chesimard, a fugitive living in Cuba under the name Assata Shakur, was a member of the Black Liberation Army in 1973 when she shot and killed Trooper Werner Foerster during a traffic stop. Between 1971 and 1973, she was charged with several crimes and was the subject of a multi-state manhunt. Tools Sundiata Acoli (born January 14, 1937, [1] as Clark Edward Squire) is an American political activist who was a member of the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army. In 2013 Assata Shakur, founding member of the Black Liberation Army, former Black Panther and godmother of Tupac Shakur, became the first ever woman to make the FBI's most wanted. [38][78] Of these trials, three resulted in acquittals, one in a hung jury, one in a change of venue, one in a mistrial due to pregnancy, and one in a conviction. Sullivan, Joseph F. (May 4, 1973). [158], A key element of Shakur's defense was medical testimony meant to demonstrate that she was shot with her hands up and that she would have been subsequently unable to fire a weapon. [234] In 2008, a Bucknell University professor included Shakur in a course on "African-American heroes"along with figures such as Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, John Henry, Malcolm X, and Angela Davis. [115] Shakur and co-defendant Ronald Myers were accused of entering the bar with pistols and shotguns, taking $50 from the register, kidnapping the bartender, leaving a note demanding a $20,000 ransom from the bar owner, and fleeing in a rented truck. [93] Judge Gagliardi instructed both the prosecution and the defense not to bring up Shakur or Sadiki's connections to the BLA, saying they were "not relevant". The FBI put out a $2 million bounty for her recapture almost 50 years ago. "Police by Hundreds Comb 2 Boroughs for 6 Suspects in Ambush Shootings". Shakur has lived in Cuba since, despite US government efforts to have her returned. [77], Between 1973 and 1977, in New York and New Jersey, Shakur was indicted ten times, resulting in seven different criminal trials. Her aunt helped her to later earn a General Educational Development (GED) degree. She spent 6 and a half years in prison before . Between 1971 and 1973, Shakur was accused of several crimes, none of which had sufficient evidence to back them. One issue that was not raised publicly during his visit was the fate of Assata Shakur, the legendary figure within the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army who now lives in Cuba . [87] Shakur's aunt and lawyer, Evelyn Williams, was cited for contempt after walking out of the courtroom after many of her attempted motions were denied. Williams often took the girl to museums, theaters, and art galleries.[11]. [197] In October 1980, New Jersey and New York City Police denied published reports that they had declined to raid a BedfordStuyvesant, Brooklyn building where Shakur was suspected to be hiding for fear of provoking a racial incident. She said she was taught a sugar-coated version of history that ignored the oppression suffered by people of color, especially in the United States. [70], With gunshot wounds in both arms and a shoulder, Assata Shakur was moved to Middlesex General Hospital under "heavy guard" and was reported to be in "serious condition". Also involved in the shootout were New Jersey State Troopers Werner Foerster and James Harper and BLA members Sundiata Acoli and Zayd Malik Shakur. (2001). [129], A total of 289articles had been published in the local press relating to the various crimes with which Shakur had been accused. [100] Shakur was immediately returned to Morristown, New Jersey, under a heavy guard following the trial. Chesimard's fantasy world, complete with fabricated moniker "Assata Shakur," left a trail of death and mayhem which . [206][207] The book was published by Lawrence Hill & Company in the United States and Canada but the copyright is held by Zed Books Ltd. of London due to "Son of Sam" laws, which restrict who can receive profits from a book. Johnston, Richard J. H. (March 9, 1974). [89] While in the holding pen, they listened to the proceedings over loudspeakers. She surfaced in Cuba in 1984, where she was granted political asylum. "Assata Shakur: Profiled and on the Run". [64] Appleby reiterated that the jury must consider separately the four assault charges (atrocious assault and battery, assault on a police officer acting in the line of duty, assault with a deadly weapon, and assault with intent to kill), each of which carried a total maximum penalty of 33years in prison. She later became a member of the Black Liberation Army and was involved in several Black organizing groups, including the Black Panther Party. Shakur converted to Catholicism as a child and attended the all-girls Cathedral High School, for six months before transferring to public high school. A condition of making a new deal between the United States and Cuba is the release of political prisoners and the return of fugitives from justice. Malcolm X told the truth when he stated, "Education is an important element in the struggle for human rights. [185] On November 2, 1979, Shakur escaped the Clinton Correctional Facility for Women in New Jersey, when three members of the Black Liberation Army visiting her drew concealed .45-caliber pistols and a stick of dynamite, seized two correction officers as hostages, commandeered a van and (with the assistance of members of the May 19 Communist Organization) made their escape. A brief history by Rashad Shabazz of the Black Liberation Army, a Marxist-Leninist urban guerrilla group with roots in the Black Panther Party. Tupac's aunt is Assata Shakur, the political activist and former Black Liberation Army member who escaped prison and fled to Cuba after she was convicted for the 1977 murder of a New. [28] In 1987, when asked in Cuba about police allegations that the BLA gained funds by conducting bank robberies and theft, Shakur responded, "There were expropriations, there were bank robberies. [67] Kunstler had previously been successful in subpoenaing Kelley and Church for the trials of American Indian Movement (AIM) members charged with murdering FBI agents. Assata Shakur was born JoAnne Bryon. Assata Olugbala Shakur (born JoAnne Deborah Byron; July 16, 1947; [a]) is an American political activist who was a member of the Black Liberation Army (BLA). [213] On March 10, 1998[214] New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman asked Attorney General Janet Reno to do whatever it would take to return Shakur from Cuba. This page was last edited on 27 March 2023, at 12:25. [173] When Kunstler first took on Shakur's case (before meeting her), he described her basement cell as "adequate", which nearly resulted in his dismissal as her attorney. [58] Acoli stopped and exited the car and, after being ordered to halt by a trooper, fled into the woods as the trooper emptied his gun. She has been on the FBI Most Wanted Terrorist list since 2013 as Joanne Deborah Chesimard and was the first woman to be added to this list. [219], On May 2, 2005, the 32nd anniversary of the Turnpike shootings, the FBI classified her as a domestic terrorist, increasing the reward for assistance in her capture to $1million,[193][220] the largest reward placed on an individual in the history of New Jersey. Assata was a Black Panther then a Black Liberation Army (BLA) leader in the early '70s, so she was a target of the FBI's COINTELPRO operation. [182][133] Their investigation, which focused on alleged human rights abuses of political prisoners, cited Shakur as "one of the worst cases" of such abuses and including her in "a class of victims of FBI misconduct through the COINTELPRO strategy and other forms of illegal government conduct who as political activists have been selectively targeted for provocation, false arrests, entrapment, fabrication of evidence, and spurious criminal prosecutions". [141] The New Jersey Legal Ethics Committee also investigated complaints against Hinds for comparing Shakur's murder trial to "legalized lynching"[142] undertaken by a "kangaroo court". While forensic evidence backed up her account, Assata Shakur was sentenced to life plus 33 years in prison for the murder of a police officer, a crime she didn't commit. [215] Later in 1998, U.S. media widely reported claims that the United States State Department had offered to lift the Cuban embargo in exchange for the return of 90U.S. fugitives, including Shakur. [112] On April 26, while Shakur was pregnant,[108] New Jersey Governor Brendan Byrne signed an extradition order to move Shakur to New Jersey to face two counts of attempted murder, attempted assault, and possession of dangerous weapons related to the alleged ambush; however, Shakur declined to waive her right to an extradition hearing, and asked for a full hearing before Middlesex County Court Judge John E. [81][82] Seven other BLA members were indicted by District Attorney Eugene Gold in connection with the series of holdups and shootings on the same day,[84] whoaccording to Goldrepresented the "top echelon" of the BLA as determined by a year-long investigation. She joined the Black Panthers in college, but the arrests of the Panther leadership in 1969 effectively crushed the organization. "[164] The case was delayed in being brought to trial as a result of an agreement between the governors of New York and New Jersey as to the priority of the various charges against Shakur. On May 2 1973, Black Panther activist Assata Shakur (fsn) Joanne Deborah Chesimard, was pulled over by the New Jersey State Police, shot twice and then charged with murder of a police officer. [134] The Roots TV miniseries adapted from the book and shown shortly before the trial was believed to have evoked feelings of "guilt and sympathy" with many white viewers. [58] Assata Shakur walked toward the trooper with her bloodied arms raised in surrender. "Neurosurgeon's Testimony Backs Mrs. Chesimard". [14] She was arrested for the first timewith 100 other BMCC studentsin 1967, on charges of trespassing. Shakur was forcibly subdued and photographed by the FBI on the judge's order, after having refused to cooperate, believing that the FBI would use photo manipulation; a subsequent judge determined that the manners in which the photos were obtained violated Shakur's rights and ruled the new photos inadmissible. [202] Shakur is also known to have worked as an English-language editor for Radio Havana Cuba. Assata Shakur, otherwise known as Joanne Chesimard, an organizer who had been described as "the soul of the Black Liberation Army," had been arrested for the execution-style killing of a state trooper in May 1973, via the New York Times. In 1977, she was convicted of the murder of State Trooper Foerster and of seven other felonies related to the 1973 shootout. that somewhere in your heart you have love for me. An activist in black radical groups such as the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army, Shakur was convicted of murdering a New Jersey state trooper in 1977, but supporters helped her escape prison and take refuge in Cuba. After she ran away from home several times, her aunt, who would later act as one of her lawyers, took her in. [12], She was booked on charges of attempted robbery, felonious assault, reckless endangerment, and possession of a deadly weapon, then released on bail. I felt like an African woman".[24]. "No Checking Was Done On Chesimard 'Visitors'; Identification Required of Visitors Security Review Ordered". Brown,[136] Stanley Cohen (who died of unknown causes early on in the Turnpike trial), Lennox Hinds, Florynce Kennedy, Louis Myers, Laurence Stern, and Evelyn Williams, Shakur's aunt. Assata Shakur, Assata: An Autobiography 65 likes Like "Schools in amerika are interested in brainwashing people with amerikanism, giving them a little bit of education, and training them in skills needed to fill the positions the capitalist system requires. [122] The jury determined that a widely circulated FBI photo allegedly showing Shakur participating in the robbery was not her. [62][143] Hinds' disciplinary proceeding reached the U.S. Supreme Court in Middlesex County Ethics Committee v. Garden State Bar Ass'n (1982). [66] According to the testimony of State Police investigators, two jammed semi-automatic pistols were discovered near Foerster's body. Last week, it. Her other texts in the book are a July 4, 1973, speech ("To My People"), which was broadcast on many radio stations, an exposition on the theory of "armed revolutionary struggle", and many poems. . "Going Back to Class? [110] Neurosurgeon Dr. Arthur Turner Davidson, Associate Professor of Surgery at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, testified that the wounds in her upper arms, armpit and chest, and severed median nerve that instantly paralyzed her right arm, would only have been caused if both arms were raised, and that to sustain such injuries while crouching and firing a weapon (as described in Trooper Harper's testimony) "would be anatomically impossible". On May 2, 1973, Assata was driving with Zayd Malik Shakur and Sundiata Acoli on the New Jersey Turnpike when New Jersey state troopers stopped them. Quick Reference. [105] New Jersey Superior Court Judge Leon Gerofsky ordered a change of venue in 1973 from Middlesex to Morris County, New Jersey, saying "it was almost impossible to obtain a jury here comprising people willing to accept the responsibility of impartiality so that defendants will be protected from transitory passion and prejudice. [85], The prosecution's case rested largely on the testimony of two men who had pleaded guilty to participating in the holdup. Assata Shakur, Joanne Byron, Barbara Odoms, Joanne Chesterman, Joan Davis, Justine Henderson, Mary Davis, Pat Chesimard, Jo-Ann Chesimard, . U.S. Government Declares $2 Million Bounty For Assata Shakur, Tupac's Godmother, Castro won't hand over killer of N.J. trooper, "Cuba still harbors one of America's most wanted fugitives. The reward for her capture and return was also doubled to $2 million. The correspondence sub-series consist of letters written to or from McCreary ranging in date from 1963-1998. . [161], According to Angela Davis, neutron activation analysis that was administered after the shootout showed no gunpowder residue on Shakur's fingers and forensic analysis performed at the Trenton, New Jersey, crime lab and the FBI crime labs in Washington, D.C., did not find her fingerprints on any weapon at the scene. [176] At Alderson, Shakur was housed in the Maximum Security Unit, which also contained several members of the Aryan Sisterhood as well as Sandra Good and Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, followers of Charles Manson. In May 1973, Shakur was arrested after being wounded in a shootout on the New Jersey Turnpike. At the rally, a statement from Shakur was circulated condemning U.S. prison conditions and calling for an independent "New Afrikan" state. Shakur was arrested in 1973 and later sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a state trooper. [52] After her capture, however, Shakur was not charged with any of the crimes for which she was purportedly the subject of the manhunt. At that time, eight men who came to be known as the San Francisco 8 were accused of killing Sgt. The New York Amsterdam News section is an ad in support of Assata Shakur. Batista, Carlos (March 18, 2002). [18], After returning to New York City, Shakur led the BPP chapter in Harlem, coordinating the Free Breakfast Program for children, free clinics, and community outreach. Abstract Marighella proposes two essential objectives for the urban guerrilla: physical liquidation of armed forces and police chiefs and assistants, and appropriation of government resources and those belonging to the elite . [16], After graduation from CCNY, Shakur moved to Oakland, California, where she joined the Black Panther Party (BPP). Assata Shakur has been living in Cuba since 1986, after escaping from prison where she was serving a life sentence imposed in a highly disputed trial. "Black Liberation leaders indicted". Prial, Frank J. What happens to Assata Shakur now? "Police See More Military Arms in Use". Janson, Donald (February 19, 1977). For the book, see, Black Panther Party and Black Liberation Army, Howell, Ron (October 11, 1987) "'On the Run With Assata Shakur' -, "Hands Off Assata Shakur: Angela Davis Calls for Radical Activism to Protect Activist Exiled in Cuba. Nelson, Jim (February 29, 1988). Esta autobiografa intensamente personal y poltica desmiente la temible [103] Both defendants were acquitted in the retrial; six jurors interviewed after the trial stated that they did not believe the two key prosecution witnesses. See Kirsta, Alix (May 29, 1999), "A black and white case Investigation Joanne Chesimard". [120][121] The trial was delayed until 1976,[119] when Shakur was represented by Stanley Cohen and Evelyn Williams. "[79] Polls of residents in Middlesex County, where Acoli had been convicted less than three years earlier,[80] showed that 83% knew Shakur's identity and 70% believed that she was guilty. She often ran away, staying with strangers and working for short periods of time, until she was taken in by her mother's sister Evelyn A. Williams, a civil rights worker who lived in Manhattan. [5][6], Assata Shakur was born Joanne Deborah Byron, in Flushing, Queens, New York City, on July 16, 1947. During a confrontation, a shootout ensued, killing Foerster and one of the passengers in the car. Johnston, Richard J. Shakur and others with the Black Liberation Army were convicted and sentenced in 1973 for the murder of a New Jersey State Trooper. [87] White and Rivers, although having pled guilty, had not yet been sentenced for the robbery and were promised that the charges would be dropped in exchange for their testimony. $55.00 + $5.55 shipping. [67], Acoli drove the car (a white Pontiac LeMans with Vermont license plates)[62]which contained Assata Shakur, who was wounded, and Zayd Shakur, who was dead or dying5 miles (8km) down the road. In it she calls herself a revolutionary seeking freedom for "my people." Shakur's 1977 conviction and later escape from prison have made her an icon of black power enthusiasts. A few minutes later the prosecutor Barone disagreed with Kunstler's assessment saying the trial's outcome was decided "completely on the facts". Johnston, Richard H. (February 13, 1974). [63] The prosecution argued that Assata had fired the bullets that had wounded Harper, while the defense argued that the now deceased Zayd had fired them. . Thomas "Blood" McCreary, a member of the BLA, is the largest series in the Black Liberation Army archive. . [64] That night, the second night of jury deliberation, the jury asked Judge Appleby to repeat his instructions regarding the four assault charges 30minutes before retiring for the night, which led to speculation that the jury had decided in Shakur's favor on the remaining charges, especially the two counts of murder. State correction officials disclosed in November 1979 that they had not run identity checks on Shakur's visitors[190] and that the three men and one woman who assisted in her escape had presented false identification to enter the prison's visitor room,[191] before which they were not searched.
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