Flushing, Queens, New York (July 16, 1947 – December 25, 2025)

Assata Olugbala Shakur, born JoAnne Deborah Byron, was an African political activist, revolutionary, and fugitive who was a member of the Black Liberation Army (BLA). In 1977, Shakur was convicted of first-degree murder of New Jersey State trooper, killed during a shootout on the New Jersey Turnpike in 1973. She escaped from prison in 1979. Shakur was the first woman on the FBI’s top ten most wanted list. The FBI offered $1 million reward for information leading to her capture, an additional $1 million was offered by the New Jersey attorney general. Shakur was a Freedom fighter granted asylum in Cuba. She died in exile, not in bondage. 

“It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must Love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our Chains.” Assata Shakur