Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

Assata: Bir Otobiyografi by Assata Shakur

35 reviews

hannahmartian's review against another edition

challenging informative tense slow-paced

4.0

I knew nothing about Assata Shakur until I heard Angela Davis mention her several times to recommend this book. I am glad I read it. This book tells the story of how Assata grew up from a kid in Queens to an political refugee in exile in Cuba. It covers her involvement with student movements, the Black Panthers, and her years of imprisonment while on trial. It’s terrifying to read what the state will do when they perceive you as a threat and thr lengths they have gone to in order to demean Assata and break her spirit while framing her for violent crimes.

Sometimes I wished the writing style was tighter.my favorite parts are when she talks about her close relationships. She clearly has such love for the people close to her. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Forced institutionalization, and Police brutality

Moderate: Confinement

rubbercitykitten's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Police brutality

Moderate: Slavery and Torture

Minor: Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Ableism, and Classism

cadybooks's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Racial slurs, Rape, Police brutality, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Grief, Kidnapping, Body horror, Colonisation, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Pregnancy, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Medical content, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Abortion

studydniowka's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

Bardzo dosadne świadectwo politycznej uchodźczynie, której udało się zbiec z amerykańskiego systemu penitencjarnego. Historia przemocy ze względu na płeć i rasę, systemowego rasizmu i ucisku kobiety z klasy robotniczej. Bardzo polecam przeczytać, ale jest to mrożąca lektura.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Racism, Violence, Gun violence, Murder, Colonisation, Hate crime, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Slavery, and Torture

izmikell's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Hate crime, Violence, and Police brutality

kols's review against another edition

medium-paced

5.0

An incredibly crafted autobiography that flashes between memories of growing up in New York and the events leading up to her arrest/her time in prison. She tells her stories as they happened and reflects on them as a woman looking back at her life. Assata is a wonderful writer and I learned so much. I would recommend this to anyone and I'll leave you with a pull quote that stuck with me: Love is contraband in Hell, cause love is an acid that eats away bars. But you, me, and tomorrow hold hands and make vows that struggle will multiply. The hacksaw has two blades. The shotgun has two barrels. We are pregnant with freedom. We are a conspiracy.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality

nolongeremi's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

a must read for anyone who wants to learn more about the BPP (black panther party) and black liberation struggle! 

power to the people ✊

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Police brutality

pang's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Police brutality, and Racism

Moderate: Stalking

jubilantdemon's review against another edition

inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Misogyny

katharina90's review against another edition

challenging dark funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Throughout her autobiography Assata Shakur offers a radical analysis of interlocking systems of oppression and how they are upheld by the legal injustice system, policing, education and media. This book is as relevant as ever.

Despite the sobering topic and graphic content, Assata's sense of humor and no-bullshit attitude made this a highly entertaining read. I also found it inspiring and hopeful, particularly in regard to her views on activism and the struggle for liberation.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Confinement, Gun violence, Police brutality, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Racial slurs and Classism

Minor: Fatphobia