Honoring Comrade-Sister Assata Shakur: A Revolutionary Legacy
Tribute from the All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (GC)
The All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (GC) and the All-African Women’s Revolutionary Union (GC) honor and pay homage to Sister Assata Shakur upon learning of her transition to our revolutionary ancestors. We acknowledge her unwavering commitment, sacrifices, and lifelong contributions to the revolutionary struggle against capitalism, racism, sexism, imperialism, and zionism. Assata’s dedication has been central to the emancipation of African and all women, and to the broader movement for the liberation and unity of African people worldwide.
Assata Shakur’s Revolutionary Journey
As a prominent member of the Black Panther Party (BPP) and the Black Liberation Army (BLA), Assata fought tirelessly for the liberation of African people. She, like many revolutionaries, was unjustly targeted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) COINTELPRO program. This led to her being wrongfully charged and convicted by a racist jury for the killing of a white police officer. Despite these oppressive conditions, Assata demonstrated creative genius and resilience, ultimately escaping incarceration and finding refuge in Cuba.
Cuba’s Solidarity and Shelter
All Pan-Africanists must recognize and pay tribute to Cuba for welcoming Assata as a political prisoner. From her arrival in 1984 until her death September 25, 2025, Cuba provided her with protection, care, and support, shielding her from the reach of American imperialism, which continues to label revolutionaries as criminals and terrorists.
Cuban officials consistently defended their decision. Fidel Castro described Assata as a “true political prisoner” and a victim of the repression targeting the Black movement, rejecting US claims that she was a terrorist as “an injustice, a brutality, an infamous lie.” Ordinary Cubans and officials alike have echoed these views, treating her as an honored guest and a sister in struggle. For Cuba, granting asylum to Assata Shakur was an act of principle, rooted in its anti-imperialist and anti-racist commitments.
Assata herself described her arrival in Cuba as a profound experience: “When I got here, people were just people, doing what they had to do. It’s a country with a strong sense of community. Unlike the U.S., folks aren’t as isolated. People are really into other people. Also, I didn’t know there were all these black people here and that there was this whole Afro-Cuban culture. My image of Cuba was Che Guevara and Fidel Castro. I hadn’t heard of Antonio Maceo (a hero of the Cuban War of Independence) and other Africans who had played a role in Cuban history… They were also interested in my vision of the struggle of African people in the United States. I was so impressed by that because I grew up, so to speak, in the movement, dealing with white leftists who were very bossy and wanted to tell us what to do and thought they knew everything. The Cuban attitude was one of solidarity with respect. It was a profound lesson in cooperation.” (Interview With Assata Shakur: Veteran Panther, Former Political Prisoner & Author – Pan-African News Wire)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) offered a life-or-death bounty of $2 million for her return to the US, similar to the days of slavery when slave masters sought the capture and return of escaped slaves. It was under these horrific conditions and with them living under the immoral, genocidal, and illegal blockade of Cuba that she lived her life with pride, self-respect, and dignity. As revolutionaries, we do not mourn her transition, but are eternally inspired by her life of service, suffering, and sacrifices for African and all oppressed Peoples worldwide.
Assata was aware, as Frantz Fanon tells us, “Only the masses make history.” Assata has inspired and brought consciousness to a new generation of African youths, women, and men, who await organization.
We extend our revolutionary condolences to her immediate family and all those who loved and were close to her for our loss.
Long Live the Revolutionary Solidarity of Africa & Cuba!
All-African People’s Revolutionary Party (GC)
All-African Women’s Revolutionary Union (GC)