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Assata Shakur - the Revolutionary!


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Do you know the circumstances?

 

Convicted of the murder of a state trooper in 1973, Joanne Chesimard was sentenced to life in prison; no parole.  She escaped in 1979, fled to Cuba and has lived there in exile ever since.

But first, who was Ms. Chesimard?  Born during Jim Crow (having to witness overt segregation, separate but ‘equal’ laws, the disparity in wages, earnings gaps between whites and blacks, having to live in government formed dilapidated ghettos, etc.), she grew up destined to be a part of the Black Liberation Movement of the Sixties (She was choice-ed with non-violence but deciding to not not fight back if someone spits in her face was too much to consider, she chose the BLM).

 

A rebel.  What citizen of the United States is against the desire or the necessity to fight back against a system that is against you?  Taxation without Representation.

She joined the Black Panther Party and immediately a target was placed on her back.

 

Assata Shakur Speaks!

 

After her arrest for cop killing, she was formally charged in a slew of pending cases including murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, bank robbery and kidnapping; receiving either an acquittal or dismissal on all charges.   All after Angela Davis won her trial (The Morning Breaks), so imagine the temperature in desiring a conviction for a militant Black woman – yet she prevailed.

 

Now her being a target was confirmed with the FBI’s COINTELPRO information regarding the ‘take down’ of the ‘terrorist’ organization – The Black Panther Party.  Remember, the BPP was formed to protect Black neighborhoods and its citizens from the occupying force of police departments.  They used laws (carry permits and open carry displays of weapons) and weren’t afraid to die for freedom.  Shootouts became common between The Panthers and the police so that night on the NJ Turnpike, a violent confrontation was sure to occur.

 

One trooper and one Panther was left dead.  Officer Harper was wounded as well as Ms. Chesimard and he stated, on the record, that it was she that wounded him, which strengthened the case for her conviction.  But forensics determined that she could not have shot him as there was no gun powder residue found on her hands and the gunshot injuries she received were consistent with her being seated and having her hands raised and her injury prevented her from being able to pull a trigger.  Officer Harper then admitted to the jury that he lied (all of this is in the transcript).

 

So why was she convicted?

  • An all-white jury convened solely by the prosecution.
  • Being a Black Panther – the #1 organization on the FBI’s hitlist.
  • She beat the system 6 times previous.
  • Outspoken against the government, especially Vietnam.
  • Media assassination with false imagery and public sway towards conviction.
  • And being Unapologetically Black.
  •  

Now this country was formed under a rebellious spirit.  Oppressed by Britain we fought for freedom.  Who can honestly concede that that freedom includes Blacks?  Through slavery, Jim Crow, Segregation, who can honestly say that Blacks did not have/does not have the right to demand equality?  The term Civil Rights has become a noun but its essence of seeking rights that are civil should not be overlooked.

 

Rights that are civil…

 

If you can’t empathize with Assata’s plight, her story, you can’t empathize with the Black struggle.  If you haven’t read her story, the transcripts of the case or understood the era (error) that led up to that night on the turnpike, you’re ignorance and lack of desire to gain knowledge is part of the hinderance to eradicating racism in America.

 

If all you conclude is – ‘she killed a cop.’ – you do not understand…

 

www.mafoombay.com - bringing forth the essence...

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No amount of awareness or empathy will eradicate racism in America.  Especially with Trump in office.  He is at the vanguard of a trend that is making racism acceptable again as the tide slowly turns, and he is who will appoint  judges to fill the Supreme Court vacancies with right wing conservatives which, in turn, will undo and prevent any further  progress  when it comes to women, religion, - and race where, incidentally,  the lines are becoming blurred.  Welcome to 2017. 

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You may say...BUT, look at the pushback he's receiving from trying to put forth his agenda - travel ban, healthcare, or pretty much anything he's attempting.  Only through executive order has he "succeeded" at anything.  His Supreme Court pick only sailed through not because of him but as a result of the process.  The GOP I liken to a cornered animal.  They fight hardest when adversed with death.  Now do we kill it or are we frightened away....

Racism will never be eradicated but the true method to defeat any societal ill is SUCCESS.  Teach smarts, teach pride, teach respect.  This may be 2017 but we must make sure it's not 2018, 2019, 2020, etc.  I'm up for the challenge to defeating the right wing agenda, are you?

 

Bringing forth the essence...

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@MAFOOMBAY: What pushback?  The Republicans have only  their own ineptitude to blame for any set backs.  The Democrats are pathetically disorganized and ineffective, standing around reacting instead of acting.   Or would I  characterize the Republicans as a cornered animal.  They  effortlessly do as they please and get away with it because everyone is at a loss as to how to deal with their arrogant disregard for political protocol.  The Supreme Court nominee? It's not about the process, it's about the nominees and you can believe they will be right wing conservatives who will shape policy for years to come.  

 

As for your formula for success, talk is cheap. I've heard  all the rhetoric before and things have gotten worse rather than better in this capitalistic republic. This  is why i'm so negative.  Black unity is an empty phrase, whose reality is not viable. Something more than essence needs to be brought forth.  You need tangibles, not abstracts and slogans.

 

Unfortunately blacks who need to be taught the most, are those least interested in learning, too inured in what "XEON", a poster on this board, refers to as the  "baby-mama culture" that perpetuates a dead-end life style ripe for violence and the racist criminal justice system, and is aided and abetted by the poor parenting that makes the job of schools more difficult. But you are young and you don't need the endorsement of an old woman like me.  i suspect you will find a comrade-in-arms by the name of PIONEER who is also a poster on this site.  He is your audience. Others who post here, like TROY, DEL, MEL, and HARRY might offer you their constructive insight, also.

 

What am i doing to help the ambiguous black struggle?  Nothing. Looking forward to the Eclipse coming up on August 21st.  This is a phenomenon i can watch that has a basis in reality.  

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After years of just seeing it in book stores, I finally got a chance to read Assata's book last year and was captivated by her story.

What got me was how attractive she was (and still is).

All through out the book I was fantasizing about what it would be like to struggle with a sister so intelligent and beautiful like Assata by your side.


Not only is the GOP in trouble, all of the politicians are in trouble because the SYSTEM is collapsing.

Western civilization is collapsing.

I believe Trump was put in office to HURRY UP this collapse.

If Hillary had got in office she would have done the same thing Obama did...."patch up" things and keep the system chugging and puffing along a little longer.


What we as Black people in the United States should be doing is building self sustaining communities that will get us through the turmoil and simultaneously working out plans to build a brand NEW civilization to take the place of this one after it's inevitable collapse.

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