Why We Celebrate The Revolutionary Freedom of Assata Shakur

The struggle for Black liberation continues

A photo of Assata Shakur leaves court in 1977 | Bettmann/ Getty Images

Upon learning that Assata Shakur, the Black revolutionary who spent the last four decades in exile in Cuba, died a free woman this week at the age of seventy-eight, many began to celebrate her legacy. While media outlets often labeled her a terrorist on the FBI's "most wanted list," and government officials offered millions for her bounty over the years, many people see her as a hero, someone unfairly targeted for their political beliefs. Now, as a form of poetic justice, her words, captured in her writings and filmed interviews, are accessible to the public. To understand why so many have chosen to honor her life and fight for freedom, consider her experience—not just as a Black leader, but as someone relentlessly targeted by law enforcement.

Lennox Hinds, an attorney who represented the National Conference of Black Lawyers, the National Alliance Against Racism, and the Commission on Human Rights, described a widespread pattern of human rights violations within the United States. Officials targeted Individuals because of "their race, economic status, and political beliefs." Hinds pointed out that Assata Shakur became a target as part of the "COINTELPRO strategy," in which federal authorities presented "fabricated evidence," and engaged in…