Women of History: Assata Shakur

The name ‘Shakur’ in today’s society has, usually, one primary thought. That thought is of hip-hop veteran, legend and dearly departed Tupac Shakur. A rapper who was gunned down in his prime of making music which spoke to not only American’s living in his type of surroundings but the whole world. The jump from Tupac Shakur and Assata Shakur is not as great as you will believe either.

Assata Shakur is the step-aunt of the rapper known as Tupac. Her story does not have any links to Tupac, however he has cited her as inspiration and that’s not without basis either. As to the status of Assata Shakur on this date, not many know. Her story took her from Queens, New York to Havana, Cuba. Once her story is told, it will be no wonder that Fidel Castro fought tirelessly to prevent her extradition to America so that she would be incarcerated for crimes the nation had brought against her.

Ms. Shakur’s story starts in, the musically rich city of, Queens, New York. Born as JoAnne Byron, her upbringing wasn’t stable, to say the least. A series of relocations from when her parents divorced, to running away from home, to staying with her aunt, she led a rocky road of dealing with, the witnessing of the, suffering of her people. By the prime age of 20, she had already been arrested for a chain-lock protest outside her college for lack of Black-education.

3 years later, upon changing her name to Assata Shakur, she joined the famous Black Panther Party. This did not last for long, as well as being a stronger pusher for black rights Assata was also expressed strong feelings about a misogynistic society. She left the party and joined the Black Liberation Army as well as the Republic of New Afrika.

At 24 Shakur was shot. She was involved in a struggle with someone in a nearby apartment in which she had enquired as to whether a party was going on, when there was a negative reply a struggle ensued where she had been shot with her own revolver. Assata credits this incident as a focal point in her life, because it was at this moment her fear of being shot had evaporated. The prime age of 24, Assata Shakur was now ready to take on the world.

Future convictions consisted being implicated in armed bank robberies, assaults on police officers and other petty crimes. By 1973, Shakur had built up a résumé of crimes in which an FBI profile was being created; her luck had gotten her past any serious charges. A series of dismissals, acquittals and one hung-jury had prevented Shakur being imprisoned in any way.

This was all set to change in May 1973. In a police stop involved two white police officers and Assata Shakur with 2 accompanying parties, a shoot-out occurred. One police officer was killed with his own gun; one of the males with Assata was killed. Assata and the remaining police officer had been wounded, she and her partner, Sundiata Acoli, got away but were later apprehended in a man-hunt.

Her trial was flawed from the second it was created. The black-revolutionary, who fought for black rights & equality, was tried with an all-white jury. This within itself created a mass conflict of interest for that jury-pool, a fact which was not considered by the judge. Expert witness showed Assata had been shot while her hands were up, in a surrendering action. She had always maintained her innocence but, unsurprisingly, she was convicted and imprisoned for life in an all-women’s correctional facility. Assata Shakur escaped this facility.

Fidel Castro’s Cuba welcomed her with open arms. Cuba’s relation with America, especially after Castro & Guevara’s Cuban Revolution, had never been great. America was so infuriated by Cuba that she took out a trade-embargo upon the neighbouring island, an embargo which still stands today. Castro gave Shakur political asylum in Cuba; under those terms Cuba had no obligation to extradite Assata Shakur back to the United States for prosecution.

“They wanted to portray her as a terrorist, something that was an injustice, a brutality, an infamous lie”

– Fidel Castro

Today Assata Shakur remains a beacon of inspiration. Her story took her from a background which was full of uncertainty, oppression, racism and cultural prejudice to a strong, mature woman who held her own against any man or woman. Her fundamental beliefs had never abandoned here, even when she was shot at the age of 24 she still carried on her fight for her cause.

The whereabouts of Assata Shakur today remains unknown. It is still widely believed Assata is still alive and living in Cuba. In 2007 Assata spoke out to the world via a website dedicated to publishing her own writings and other articles in regard to her life.

“I am 60 years old and I am proud to be one of those people who stood up against the ruthless, evil, imperialist policies of the U.S. government. In my lifetime I have opposed the war against the Vietnamese people, the illegal contras – war in Nicaragua, the illegal coup in Chile, the invasion of Haiti and of Grenada, and every other illegal, immoral and genocidal war the U.S. government has ever waged.”

– Assata Shakur, 2007

As with most civil rights cases, hip-hop has paid an enormous tribute to Assata Shakur. None will perhaps be more famous as rapper Common (real name, Lonnie Lynn), his 2000 song entitled ‘A Song for Assata’. Common mentioned he had travelled to Havana to meet with Assata and discuss this song with her. She had been happy to help and contributed with her own words,

“I know a whole more about what freedom isn’t
Than about what it is, cause I’ve never been free.
I can only share my vision with you of the future, about what freedom is.”

– Assata Shakur, ‘A Song for Assata’

Assata Shakur is Welcome Here

Women of History: Coretta Scott King

In an age where female role models are seldom and where men of history are decorated (some more rightly so than others), it’s only fair the women of history are remembered alongside the men, in the same or greater spotlight. History has constantly masked away the female contribution to the world. Rosa Parks got coverage in mainstream history; yet many go without mention.

Black civil rights has a rich history. The struggle was well documented, as was the rise out of it. Various men have received their accolades as helping the movement.  From Martin Luther King, Jr. to Malcolm X to Huey P. Newton, it is hard to argue that there is none more important, nor do I attempt to say otherwise.

Martin Luther King is arguably the most iconic man of the struggle. His ‘I have a dream’ speech will forever be inspirational, recognised & hailed. King’s ideology of nonviolent methods were not easy to implement, in the face of much brutality, but implemented they were. Martin Luther King would, however, not be the man he was without his inspirational wife, Coretta Scott King.

Mrs. Scott King has not been completely ignored in the modern world. In Jayceon Taylor, better known as Game, hit ‘Letter to the King’ there were constant references to the inspiring Scott King.

“Sometime I wanna give up or at least take a break. That’s when I close my eyes and see Coretta Scott’s face.”

Jayceon Taylor – Letter To The King, 2008

Hip-hop has always acknowledged the struggle of the black race, seldom paid homage to Coretta Scott. Her story is motivating, encouraging, heart-warming and somewhat restores some faith in mankind.

Coretta’s story starts in 1927, in a small town in Marion, Alabama. Neither poor, nor wealthy the Scott’s worked on a small farm with enough money coming in to keep them afloat. Her parents were, forever, insistent their children were educated. Her mother was so determined, she started taking the children, as well as other black students from around, to the nearest black-school (segregation in those times meant long-travel for black-students) which was 14km away. Coretta Scott graduated in 1945. Creative in nature, it was no surprise she excelled with arts & music, playing the trumpet, piano, being part of the choir amongst participations within school musicals. It was when she joined college her political interests were conceived. Having grown up around segregation, oppression and racism Coretta Scott joined the NAACP.

It was after Scott King left college and won a scholarship to a music school in Boston that she met, future husband, Martin Luther King Jr. MLK’s contribution to the civil rights cause is well documented, Coretta stood by his actions from the day they got married (June 18^th 1953) to the day he died (April 4^th 1968). Coretta’s individual actions, which have been hidden from mainstream history, came after her husband’s death.

Coretta took over the head lead in the Civil Rights Movement in 1968 reluctantly, her choice in whom it should be declined to do so.

“We the women must lead the way and adopt non-violence as a way of life. We must teach our children the non-violent way, so as to stop the chain of violence which is spiralling in our society.”

– Coretta Scott King, Solidarity Day 1968

Her speech, delivered after she had announced leadership of the movement has been commended for her passion to push through women’s rights along with the on-going civil rights struggle. In the same year she was responsible for establishing the most important memorial to her late husband, The Martin Luther King, Jr. Centre for Nonviolent Social Change. This centre lies in the King’s home town and is integrated with the Baptist Church where both Martin Luther King & his father delivered their sermons.

Coretta Scott King was a big advocate of the rights of the homosexual community, standing against homophobia and anti-gay laws. She created a division in the black-community for this stance; however she continued to push the cause as her husband would. As he had demanded rights and equality all, her cause was not without basis.

With South African apartheid still about in her day, Coretta pushed for action from Washington D.C. Taking part in several rallies, which were welcomed and continued globally. She proceeded to make a visit to South Africa and council with Winnie Mandela while her husband, Nelson Mandela, was still being imprisoned. She would continue to lobby the case for US intervention in South Africa.

Coretta Scott King lived a wonderful, hard fought and inspirational long life. Even at the age of 77, Mrs Scott King would never stop spreading the message her husband and done so well to do. She died January 30^th 2006. 14,000 people attended her funeral, including former presidents, future presidents (Barack Obama) and other government associates. Her efforts were never gone unappreciated by everyone, and they never will be.

The best tribute Coretta could have asked for was established in 2007. The Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy is an all-girls academy in the Kings’ home town of Atlanta, Georgia with the simple, yet effective, motto of, “to be empowered by scholarship, non-violence, and social change, my sister.”

Never forgotten, Coretta Scott King.