About this episode

This episode discusses the life and legacy of Assata Shakur, a prominent political activist and fugitive.

Assata Olugbala Shakur ( / ə ˈ s ɑː t ə ʃ ə ˈ k ʊər / ə-SAH-tə shə-KOOR ; born JoAnne Deborah Byron , July 16, 1947 [ a ] – September 25, 2025) was an American political activist, revolutionary, and fugitive who was a member of the Black Panther Party , and later the Black Liberation Army . [ 3 ] In 1977, she was convicted of the first-degree murder of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster during a shootout on the New Jersey Turnpike in 1973. She escaped from prison in 1979 and was wanted by the FBI , with a $1 million reward for information leading to her capture, and an additional $1 million reward offered by the New Jersey attorney general . [ 4 ] She was never caught and remained a fugitive for 45 years.

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