Assata Shakur
American activist and fugitive convicted of murder, escaped prison.
Assata Olugbala Shakur (born JoAnne Deborah Byron, July 16, 1947) is an American political activist, revolutionary, and fugitive. She was a member of the Black Panther Party and later the Black Liberation Army. In 1977, she was convicted of the first-degree murder of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster during a 1973 shootout on the New Jersey Turnpike. She escaped from prison in 1979 and has remained a fugitive ever since, living in Cuba after receiving political asylum in 1984.
Quick Facts
- Birth Name
- JoAnne Deborah Byron
- Birth Place
- New York City, New York, U.S.
- Death Date
- 2025-09-25
- Death Place
- Havana, Cuba
- Other Names
- JoAnne Chesimard
- Occupation
- Political activist
- Known For
- Black Liberation Army and subsequent exile in Cuba; first woman added to FBI Most Wanted Terrorists list; godmother of Tupac Shakur
- Notable Works
- Assata: An Autobiography
- Spouse
- Louis Chesimard (1967–1970)
- Children
- 1
- Allegiance
- Black Panther Party (1970) / Black Liberation Army (1971–1981)
- Escaped
- November 2, 1979
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Assata Shakur was born in Flushing, Queens, and grew up in New York City and Wilmington, North Carolina. After running away from home several times, she was taken in by her aunt Evelyn A. Williams, a civil rights worker. Shakur attended Borough of Manhattan Community College and the City College of New York, where she became involved in political activism. She later adopted the name Assata Shakur and joined the Black Panther Party, then the Black Liberation Army. In 1971, she was shot during a struggle at a hotel and was later sought for questioning in a bank robbery and a hand grenade attack on a police car.
Reader's Guide
Assata Shakur's significance lies in her role as a symbol of radical Black activism and the ongoing debate over her conviction and escape. Her 1977 trial for the murder of Trooper Werner Foerster resulted in a life sentence, but she maintained that her right arm was injured by police gunfire early in the confrontation, making it impossible for her to have fired the fatal shots. Her 1979 escape from the Clinton Correctional Facility for Women, aided by the Black Liberation Army and the May 19th Communist Organization, and subsequent asylum in Cuba, made her a fugitive for 45 years. In 2013, the FBI added her to its Most Wanted Terrorists list, the first woman to be listed. Her legacy remains contested: some view her as a political prisoner and revolutionary, others as a convicted murderer. She died in Cuba in 2025 at age 78.
Did You Know?
- Shakur was the first woman added to the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list, under the name Joanne Deborah Chesimard.
- She escaped from prison in 1979 with help from the Black Liberation Army and the May 19th Communist Organization.
- The reward for her capture included $1 million from the FBI and an additional $1 million from the New Jersey attorney general.
- Shakur converted to Catholicism as a child and attended an all-girls Catholic high school for six months.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Assata Shakur?
She is an American political activist and fugitive born JoAnne Deborah Byron on July 16, 1947, in Queens, New York. She went on to join the Black Panther Party and later the Black Liberation Army, dedicating her life to revolutionary politics.
What happened during the 1973 New Jersey Turnpike incident?
In a 1973 armed confrontation on the New Jersey Turnpike, State Trooper Werner Foerster was killed during a shootout in which Shakur was a participant. She was subsequently convicted of first-degree murder in connection with that event.
How did Assata Shakur escape from prison in 1979?
While serving her sentence in a New Jersey correctional facility, she broke free in 1979 and has remained a fugitive ever since. Her successful prison breakout turned her into one of the most high-profile runaways in U.S. criminal history.
Where does Assata Shakur live today?
After Cuba granted her political asylum in 1984, she settled there and is reported to still be alive as of 2025. The United States has never secured her extradition, and she continues to appear on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list.
Why is Assata Shakur considered significant in revolutionary history?
She became the first woman ever placed on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list, a distinction that highlighted how seriously the U.S. government regarded her. Her trajectory—from Black Panther member to convicted murderer to prison escapee to political exile—has made her a deeply polarizing figure in debates over American political activism.
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