Assata Shakur, FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorist, Dies in Cuba at 78

Assata Shakur, a prominent figure in the Black revolutionary movement and the first woman designated on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists list, has died in Havana, Cuba, at the age of 78. The news of her passing was confirmed by Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, September 25. While the exact cause of death was not immediately disclosed, officials indicated it might be related to health issues associated with her advanced age. Shakur, born Joanne Deborah Chesimard, was a significant figure during the Black Panther Party era and later joined the Black Liberation Army. Supporters viewed her as a symbol of resistance against racial oppression, while the FBI identified her as a wanted terrorist. She was convicted in 1977 for her involvement in the 1973 shooting of a state trooper and sentenced to life imprisonment. However, she escaped from prison in 1979 and found political asylum in Cuba. Shakur consistently denied the charges against her, claiming her hands were in the air during the incident and that she did not fire any shots. She was reportedly assisted in her escape by members of the Black Liberation Army. Shakur’s grandmother was the celebrated rapper Tupac Shakur.