“Black Revolutionaries do not drop from the moon. We are created by our conditions, shaped by our oppression. I am a Revolutionary. By that I mean that I have declared war on all forces that have raped our women, castrated our men and kept our babies empty bellied.” Assata Shakur
Today, as we look at the Hollywood depiction and portrayal of strong African women (non-fiction and fiction) we must always take the time to honor our sisters that have given us examples of leadership, commitment and sacrifice. Thousands of Black girls will see the Black Panther movie Wakanda Forever and The Woman King, which highlights the majesty and tenacity of the Black Woman. These same young sisters must also learn and study the life and times of a current African warrior of today. Her name is Assata Shakur!
As Assata continued to evolve, she would find herself working to educate Black children and teaching them the essential lessons of pride, dignity and the love of self. This is one aspect of our struggle that simply; does not occur any longer.
Today, in the Black community, there is no volunteering! If there is no pay or compensation involved, African people will not engage in any programs to uplift the youth. We have become a very selfish, self-centered people.
Through grass-root community programs, Assata armed herself with the ideology and strategies from leaders of successful liberation movements such as Fidel Castro, Amicar Cabral, Thomas Sankara and Ho Ci Minh. After she graduated from college, she went to Berkley, California. In California, Assata sought out organizations that were on the front lines of the liberation struggle. She interacted with Black Nationalist organizations, Puerto Rican nationalist and Chinese revolutionary cadres. For the first time, Assata gained insight on effective organizational tactics to help oppressed people win their freedom. Assata also read different theories of Urban Guerilla Warfare as outlined by Che Guevara, Carlos Mariguella and the Tupamaros.
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