Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - Assata: An Autobiography

My neighbor gave me their copy of the book when I said that I only found out about the Attica uprisings when watching Dog Day Afternoon. Attica itself comes up only once in the book to my knowledge, but Assata Shakur links it and the countless other racist, imperialist, & violent actions of America to her own tragic history, and then weaves that into to the lived experiences of black americans in the past, present and future, and to the taught narratives and history of the state that are remnants from our slave owning past.

Assata Shakur does this with pinpoint precision, does not mince her words once, but brings simultaneously such empathy and humor. It's a rare text that illuminates the love and care in revolutionary movements. Specifically shedding the preconceived notions from the state & media about the Black Panthers & Black Liberation Movement, but also notes criticism to how the movements fell apart (though the blame is mainly rested on COINTELPRO as it should be).

This is an essential text I believe, and one I will be returning to often. What may bring me back the most, is the incredible poetry scattered throughout, the opening poem in particular.

Content Warnings