Born in the 1940s, at a time when Black Americans experienced (and still experience) widespread racism and segregation, Assata Shakur’s life of activism was shaped by her experiences of these injustices from childhood. The Autobiography is divided into two parts. In one part, she narrates her early childhood, school years, and adulthood. In the other, she recounts her experiences in courtrooms, jails, and prisons as a result of her political activism.
As a child, Assata recounts how Black education was lacking and how, even among her own Black peers, being Black was associated with being terrible and ugly.
“Black made any insults worse. When you called someone a ‘bastard,’ that was bad. But when you called somebody a ‘black bastard,’ now that was terrible. In fact, when I was growing up, being called black, period, was grounds for fighting.” Pg. 30
Many years later, Assata would find herself fighting for Black liberation and joining renowned political groups such as the Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army. This autobiography, which is equally funny and sad, reflects what it meant to be a Black revolutionary fighting a system that is difficult, if not impossible, to change.
Assata spent years in prison after being accused of shooting a police officer. In these pages, she narrates the horrific conditions in prisons and the inhumane treatment she endured at the hands of state officials, police officers (whom she refers to as “pigs”), judges, and others. Here are the themes that resonated most with me.
Racism and Segregation
I cannot write enough about racism and segregation and how constantly they manifested themselves throughout the book. During her childhood, young Assata notices and questions the existence of schools exclusively for White children and separate schools for Black children.
Beyond schools, the same pattern of segregation extended to playgrounds, restaurants, gas stations, movie theatres, and other public spaces. Not to mention the racism that existed within schools, perpetuated by teachers who were supposed to impart knowledge.
The distinction between the South and North neighbourhoods where Assata grew up is also impossible to ignore. She recalls how, when they travelled to the South, they sometimes had to go hungry or relieve themselves in the bushes because there were no restaurants or bathrooms designated for “colored” people.
In adulthood, Assata and her comrades in the liberation movements continued to experience unfathomable racism at the hands of White police officers and state officials.
Selective History Education in Schools
“Nobody is going to teach you the education you need to overthrow them. Nobody is going to teach you your true history, teach you your true heroes, if they know that the knowledge will help set you free.”
Pg. 181
I have learned a great deal about Black history and anti-colonial struggles through political movements, far more than I learned in school. The history I was taught in school was much more superficial, if not insufficient. Assata shares a similar experience.
One of the best examples she gives is how they were taught about Lincoln freeing the slaves. She even participated in a school play depicting the event, only to learn later about Lincoln’s racist views and his support for colonization, including the idea of deporting Black Americans to Africa. The history of emancipation was also more complicated than what she had been taught in school, particularly regarding the economic and political motivations behind the Civil War.
“Little did I know that Lincoln was an archracist who had openly expressed disdain for Black people. He was of the opinion that black people should be forcibly deported to Africa or anywhere else. We had been taught that the Civil War was fought to free the slaves, and it was not until I was college that I learned that the civil war was fought for economic reasons”
Pg. 33
State Oppression
If there is one important lesson I have learned from being involved in political movements, it is that the state can label you an “enemy” or a “terrorist” and make your life a living hell simply because you criticize the system and demand change.
The judicial system, as experienced by Assata, was not only racist but also structured in ways that allowed Black people fighting for their rights to be constantly harassed and subjected to imprisonment.
Black liberation movements were frequently portrayed negatively by the media and faced police harassment, including random raids.
Resilience
While I am not a big fan of the “tough woman” mentality that suggests one must simply be strong to achieve anything in life, I must admit that Assata’s resilience truly inspired me. Of course, she should never have had to endure some of the horrific experiences she went through, especially at the hands of the state. Nevertheless, her remarkable resilience throughout these experiences is inspiring. Ultimately, she found a way to survive, even though it meant leaving her home country and seeking political asylum in Cuba.
From running away from home as a teenager and trying to support herself, to joining and organizing liberation movements, surviving a shootout that left her with bullet wounds and an arm that was almost disabled, and later enduring the horrific conditions of prison, Assata experienced it all. Her boldness in the face of these challenges is also worth noting.
The Organization and Challenges of Liberation Movements
Having been part of different political movements, I found Assata’s reflections on the internal challenges facing liberation movements particularly interesting. She recognizes the lack of political education, self-criticism, and effective strategies within these groups, especially regarding the use of arms for self-defence.
She examines both armed struggle and nonviolent approaches to confronting state violence and emphasizes the importance of strategy when deciding how to employ these methods. Differences in ideology among members, alongside other organizational challenges, created divisions within the movements.
Conclusion
Through this autobiography, I have learned a great deal about Black liberation movements in America. I have rarely encountered someone who writes as boldly as Assata does. Her unapologetic use of the word “pigs” to refer to the police throughout the book is something not many people would dare to do.
I also thoroughly enjoyed reading her poems, which consistently reflected her experiences and the situations she was describing.
I cannot recommend this book enough, especially to those involved in anti-racist movements. For me, it is a tool for learning. May Assata’s struggle, along with the struggles of everyone who fought for the liberation of Black people, never be forgotten.
A Few Favourite Snippets
“Nobody in the world, nobody in history, has ever gotten their freedom by appealing to the moral sense of the people who were oppressing them.”
Pg. 139
“To hate someone, to discriminate against them, and to attack them because of their racial characteristices is one of the most primitive, reactionary, ignorant ways of thinking that exists.”
Pg. 139
“To me, the revolutionary struggle of Black people had to be against racism, capitalism, imperialism, and sexism and for real freedom under a socialist government. But the reality of achieving it seemed a long way off.”
“A lot of people don´t know how many ways racism can manifest itself and in how many ways people fight against it. When I think of how racist, how Eurocentric our so-called education in America is, it staggers my mind.”
“Every day in the street now, I remind myself that Black people in America are oppressed. It is necessary that I do that. People get used to anything. The less you think about your oppression, the more your tolerance for it grows. After a while, people just think oppression is the normal state of things. But to become free, you have to be acutely aware of being a slave.”
Pg. 262
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